I went down to Nocera
South of Napoli
A few days break from study
In Roma Italy
Nocera is Alfonso’s home
He lived he’s buried there
For Reds it is the Mother House
The centre of their prayer
The night I came the old guys
In their common room
Sat down to watch a film so rare
About the war and doom
La Notte Di San Lorenzo
Set in ‘45
A time when all these men were young
And lucky to be alive
Conflicted days in Italy
Mussolini gone
Germany exacts revenge
The people suffer on
I felt an outsider in that room
Intruder on their story
What tales I thought they could tell me
Dangerous yes and gory
Outside the Naples night was dark
Nocera fast asleep
And old men shuffle off to bed
Secrets still to keep
Brian Fahy
31 December 2021
Erris Poetry 