Venetian Night

By the light of an amethyst lamp I stand,

The glowing eyes of the city upon me.

Like a murmuring ocean, I hear voices drift,

Rolling waves, in a language that astounds me.

Time means nothing to me, as I look toward,

The golden lights that dance upon the water,

Of this mystical place that seems birthed from the sea,

That now stands proud like the ocean’s daughter.

Narrow streets and alleys lead here and there,

They are countless, charming, and deceiving,

As they go to darkened courtyards that frame the limpid stars,

Or picturesque corners where seeing is believing.

From the strollers in the night and the music in the square,

And the venerable oppidans that mingle,

With glass chalices in hand filled with elixirs of all kinds,

Their beaming smiles warm the heart and make it tingle.

The crescent moon reigns high above, a lucent diadem in the sky,

That inspires the boatmen as they clutch their oars, to sing their notes most high.

As distant accordions fill the air, from the darkened shadows of enchanted gardens,

Nocturnal lovers emerge and embrace, in their glances is a love most ardent.

This city of canals that stole my soul and brushed my heart,

Will always be with me, even now that we’re apart.

Unforgettable and timeless, labyrinthine, Byzantine,

This place will stay with me for life, haunting my every dream.