Notes to oneself
My nose is cold.
Must be cold outside.
True. It is January.
Costanza is on the couch.
Or is it called the sofa.
She’s wrapped in a blanket.
The blanket with hearts on one side.
And with wooly curlicues on the other.
The book I’m reading has a young man called the wooly lamb.
A laptop is perched on Costanza’s lap.
Her long slender fingers jump around on the keyboard.
My hands are like yours, she says holding them up splayed.
There’s one big difference.
A matter of years, how many?
Ninety seven minus twenty eight.
My fingers are encased in grey knitted gloves.
A gift from my caretaker/friend who is Moldovan.
Her family in Moldovia had a small plot of land.
Until the Russians came and then they had nothing.
I continue typing.
And the word I type comes out “fiend”.
That’s not at all what I meant.
Gloves move up over my wrists.
I tap out the letters of whatever words I need.
It’s seven thirty on January 11th or maybe the 13th.
And it is getting dark.
My nose is cold.
It’s almost time for supper.
The light is on in the restaurant across the street.
It’s open for business.
Wish I could go out
but can’t – or shouldn’t – do the stairs.
Tourists wander up the street, peruse the menu.
It’s early for an Italian supper but they don’t know what else to do.
Once in the States
At a restaurant they said
Oh, we start serving supper at four.
My nose is cold.
Their noses must also be cold.
What’s on the menu?
A nice hot chickpea soup.
With garlicky toast croutons
And a swirl of olive oil.
This year’s oil, emerald green
And peppery.
Years ago in South Carolina
A turkey dinner
But the turkey was in strips, like pork.
That’s no way to serve turkey.
Was seated next to the mayor.
Actually two mayors-
One South Carolina, one Italian and I was the translator.
Was wearing my orange cashmere sweater.
And a scarf with its orange petunias.
Still have that scarf in the bottom drawer
Of the dresser.
And that was 25 years ago.
No getting away from the past.
25 years ago or more.
One thing leads to another.
That is what life is about.
Erika Bizzarri 