But I could not bring home
Salvadori, our tour guide in Rome,
nor a water taxi in Venice,
nor coffee at the Cafe Florian
amidst new college graduates
wearing laurel wreaths for hats
in Piazza San Marco.

And sorry, but I left behind me
the bright colors of houses
on Burano, as well as the crowds
at the Spanish Steps in Rome,
and that first pistachio gelato
at the outdoor cafe.

Be glad you did not share
the long hours in tight seats
on flights going and coming.

Also, I have spared you
an unscheduled night in Heathrow
because two jumbo jets could not
share the same arrival gate.

But, gratzi, I'm home safe--
though I would have stayed.