An Italian Tale

by Stas Holodnak
(Brooklyn, NY, USA)

An Italian Tale by Stas Holodnak

Giuseppe a man from the sleepy Barilla
Procured silver paint to remodel his villa
He left it on sidewalk beside an old Vespa
And snuck into bed for his daily siesta


A friend of Giuseppe the violist Gato
Was strolling by licking his cherry gelato
He noticed the paint on the sidewalk and presto
A painting muse overcame the maestro


Giuseppe’s dog Angela raised her eyebrows
When Gato attempted to paint her house
She dragged down Giuseppe all moody and frantic
Like treacherous waters of deep Adriatic


Giuseppe explained “Mamma mia, mi scusi
I find it not even a slightly amusing!”
He kept grilling Gato like a meatball panini
With passion of violin’s great Paganini


A restorer came by named Sandra Fontana
Determined to paint the Dome of Milano
She spotted the paint while enjoying Campari
She snatched it and vanished in a fancy Ferrari


Giuseppe gave chase like a raging Othello
Decrying the theft in his songs a cappella
He stopped for espresso in Florence and Rome
But Sandra was done with the painting the Dome


Giuseppe looked up at the shimmering spire
A marvelous sight that he did not admire
And now it shines like a precious regalia
Too sad for Giuseppe but good for Italia