The Tourists From Milan

by Jennifer Malden

Friday 21st June 2019 4:38 pm

Porto Cervo - Sardinia

Small strong wary dark-eyed people

working in the supermarket

mockingly observing

the tourists from Milan.

Ancient dragon-backed mountains guarding

humdrum towns like darns in jewelled fabric,

but sheltering

the tourists from Milan.

Turquoise emerald indigo water

dreamwhite lilies glancing in the wind

to the absolute indifference

of the tourists from Milan.

Rich men's haunts like theatre sets

or luxury rabbit hutches

watched by the dragon mountains

ready to spew out flame upon

the tourists from Milan.

Yachts like bloated monsters

with captive flowers for banquets in their bowels

one beautiful, of blue and primrose yellow

and with sails to slide away.

Oh dragons! You may gobble up

the tourists from Milan

but leave 'The Eglantine' for me!

Comments

jennifer Malden

Sat 22nd Jun 2019 10:53

thanks Jason, DoRoThy, Don, Devon and Ray for the likes and the comments. Glad you liked it. Ray- How very posh working at the Sporting Club in Monte Carlo!!! Have to confess this was written some years ago when I went to Sardinia for the first time, and found it breathtakingly beautiful. For once something exceeded the expectations.

Jennifer

Don Matthews

Sat 22nd Jun 2019 10:25

Nice Jennifer

raypool

Fri 21st Jun 2019 22:22

Charming and interesting Jennifer. I do especially like "darns in jewelled fabric." The repeated last line adds weight to the poem.
It reminds me of a couple of trips to Monte Carlo where I worked in the 80s in the Sporting Club, where all the diners sat in their furs in the summer(air conned) to show them off and were removed by the waiters.
That and the trotting guard at the Rainier Palace. It's all a learning curve.

Ray

Devon Brock

Fri 21st Jun 2019 21:51

Once again, solid evocative imagery. so well done.

Jason Bayliss

Fri 21st Jun 2019 20:31

I really like this Jennifer, it reminds me of somewhere I used to live, and makes me want to explore here.

J. x

jennifer Malden

Fri 21st Jun 2019 16:37

Porto Cervo is a luxury artificial 'fishing village' in the north east of Sardinia. The tourists from Milan are welcomed by those Sardinians in the tourist business, but not popular with many others because they crowd the roads in summer, put prices up, and very often know nothing about, and are not in the least interested in, the local history or culture, and can be very offhand.The first time I went there in the 80s there was written in huge letters on the quay- 'Milanese go home'.

It is one of the most beautiful islands I know, if you can be bothered to go about a bit.
Jennifer

If you wish to post a comment you must login.

The Tourists From Milan

Comments

Please consider supporting us