life is more fun in the summer,
in the winter rain gets you down,
the weather here in central Italy is calm,
not too cold, not too warm.
we have a few bad storms in a year,
lately we have even had some snow,
the summer temperature can reach up to forty degrees,
giving my cheeks and forehead a red glow,
so spring and autumn can be heaven,
with a nice , mild sun to warm your bones,
the skies can be quite cloudless,
as you are driving home from work,
in a warm evening I walk with Elisa,
to sip on some type of wine,
maybe we stay out late to eat pizza,
now that I’ve begun to love this life of mine,
I cannot believe I have worked for 25 years,
sometimes I cannot believe I live near Rome,
with an angel from Calabria by my side,
all I need now is to find my home,
you can imagine Rome is too expensive,
and the town next to work is dull and gray,
Velletri has promise but will never be realized,
and too far from reality for Elisa,
I would love to live in Calabria,
but for centuries there has been no work down there,
I would never think to return to england,
where I was bullied and nagged about my long hair,
I could think of moving elsewhere,
but that could be a big risk,
I am now over forty,
I should be settled and build up my pension,
is there any use when the government cannot pay,
all the old folk here are rooting through the bins,
at midday on any market day,
rotten free fruit is the catch of the day,
so if Elisa found work in India Cambodia or Nepal,
I would pack my bags straight away,
we would still have family ties in Italy,
and in those countries you don’t need a lot of pay,
in this life of mine I’ve become rooted for a while,
I love the sun and wine and food,
and the rhythm of how things are done,
which in the end becomes fun,
in this life of mine I do become frustrated,
get angry and through many tantrums,
but believe me I’m happier here than rotting in Leyland,
living and breathing here has quashed the doldrums,
what more can I ask for in this life of mine,
maybe I do miss a few things from England,
definitely not the weather or the peak in crime,
here politics makes me angry along with the bureaucracy
but block out the bullshit and I’m nearly happy.

©D.Hobson January 2014