On a Late Night Train

On a late night train a fellow passenger

Told me with alarm that the ghosts of

Fazio delgi Uberti and Angiola of Verona

Were sleeping in the next carriage

 

I told him to be calm

As we were only characters

In their dreams

 

Tranquilla Casa

Two knitted bears and a velveteen rabbit

Lived in grubby plastic bag

They knew no other home

 

La Vita Nuova

I placed my coffee pot

On the pewter tea stand

This had been forced on me

As tea was hard to find

In the southern regions of the country