did laundry

did laundry at nine
at Luciano’s across the wild busy street
found a hole, didn’t get hit
always meet Luigi the chef there
had coffee and talked
to pass our weekly wash hour
he does embassy parties
today another recap

an embassy place wealthy over the top tacky
impossibly thick marble table
gaudy claw handle chairs
a cardinal and three others
had four bottles of wine with dinner
two bottles of white and two of brunello di Montalcino
at fifty euros a pop
it’s good to be the king

it was my last Monday until the fall
i’ll miss the stories and the chaos of Roma
we walked back talking across the busy Corso
between speeding buses, taxis, autos and motorcycles
to the other side without pause in our steps
it was easy cause we’re well practiced
and didn’t get hit