A night I spent
Nocera dei Pagani
Holy house
Of Sant’ Alfonso’s time
Dark of night
Assembled in
A common room
TV on
Old men sat in line
Italian language
Filled the air
That evening
Italian film
So powerful to see
La Notte di San Lorenzo
Was the screening
Memories of war
And treachery
10th of August
Night of shooting stars
Make a wish
Dreams may well come true
Fascists Germans Americans
Are fighting
Make a wish
May life be good to you
The shooting stars
The tears of San Lorenzo
Forever now suspended in the sky
In the darkest night
Italians search the heavens
Lorenzo’s tears
To guide them by and by
The old priests
In that monastery dwelling
Had memories of war
Would make you cry
Their dedicated lives
They gave to people
I sat beside them
Privileged was I
Brian Fahy
17 May 2021
Erris Poetry 