PAGE I

Rome now comes to sit
in her garden
mingling the breeze with memories
of a time when
there was a room in pale yellow hues
her room with a view
where love made a bed of happiness
in muslin and lace

autumn has come to rest
in her garden
come to paint the trees with emptiness
and no pardon
so many things have come undone
like the leaves on the ground
and suddenly she begins to cry

but she doesn't know why
heavy are the words that fall through the air
to burden her shoulders
caught up in the trees
her soliloguy,
don't leave me alone