Twenty something
non-American citizen
back-packing in Europe
recollections relegated to flashes of memory
a few names remembered, most long forgotten
images captured in notes and slide photos
or held in grey matter
recently graduated law students from Denver and Bologna
spoke of the uncertainty of what's next
the helpful ferry conductor in Bruges
who lived in San Francisco
made being detained at the frontier
more than passable
a retiree met at the front of the church of our lady
Michelangelo's Madonna
sole sculpture outside of Italy
can be found and spoken of
with so few words
a young dentist from Bern encountered in Madrid
Puerto Rican writer on the train
sharing Fundador, speaking on the promise of America
two boys from Porto met in Carcasonne
along with Gerd of Hamburg and Pascal from Paris
breaking bread and sharing my first screw top bottle of wine
it seemed newly minted men from University were on the road
an office worker from Tokyo
a soldier from Israel happened upon on the Grand Canal
while we walk spoke of the Doge, the Piazza
Byzantine architecture and their rule
Julian of Johannesburg
in Munich, the Olympiad and Dachau became our destination
Near the Vatican, a Filipino family touring with their daughter
who lived in Zurich
during my visit enroute to kin in W Germany
words on paper prose for a tree
written while sitting in her kitchen
travel memories seep in
uninvited and welcomed
stoking heart memories
©det
