Day 25: Liberation day

• Manja Maksimovič

Today something great happened: a joint walk by the lagoon. It’s a holiday, it’s only proper.

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Prompt 25: “Our prompt for today (optional, as always) is to write an ‘occasional’ poem. What’s that? Well, it’s a poem suited to, or written for, a particular occasion.“

When I saw that I was to write an occasional poem, I thought that it meant the occasionally good one. But since it’s holiday in Italy, it has combined nicely. And the day ended much better than expected.

Liberation Day

Today is officially a holiday in Italy, 
Liberation Day. 
Partisans won over fascists. 

But tomorrow unofficial liberation begins. 
After months, Italy is turning yellow. 

It is nothing worse than to be officially 
and unofficially liberated 
and still not go anywhere. 

It will be like animals, 
long locked up, 
who are set free 
but then just stand there. 

They forgot what a door is for. 

He likes to cook 
and doesn't like paying steep Tuscany prices. 

"Where would you go?" he asks. 

Don't ask. 
I didn't even have a coffee in public since October. 
I have a coloured spreadsheet 
with 30 pages and 1000 destinations. 

So just don't ask. 

First I'll have a kebab 
in Porto Santo Stefano. 

He makes a face. 

But then I envision going alone, 
wrangling bestia 
as he is securing the perimeter 
and my kebab, 
while I'm losing pieces from it 
and the sauce is dripping. 

Maybe not. 
Another time. 
When visitors come.

Today, to celebrate, 
we are going to the big supermarket by the lagoon. 
Crossing the border a day early.

I had thought to add “free to spend”
and end my poem,
but we just returned.
And guess what?

The supermarket was closed
because of the holiday.

We had the first joint stroll
since August instead.

Talking about liberation.

I must call in
and demand that the shop stays closed 
more often.

I’m really pleased that I’m able to take you on our stroll immediately after it happened. It’s a glorious Sunday. I hope you’re having one too. This is the lagoon 15 minutes from me, around the town Orbetello.

And yes, tomorrow we turn yellow. Not so sure about Rome and beyond, but I’ll be able to go around Tuscany without any paper or test. I wish you a free spring.

  • Here we go, go, go.
  • This fellow is in the same place whenever I visit.
  • This lagoon must be very shallow indeed.
  • Now you see it, now you don’t. Alert to the left.
  • This duck is also here every time. Not the best background.
  • It was making noises but not as loud as the last time.
  • Yes, you’re pretty.
  • We didn’t disturb them long.
  • The view to the west.
  • This island has more socially distancing birds. This is what my point-and-shoot can do comfortably zoom-wise.
  • Add more zoom and it gets uncomfortable.
  • It’s also good just to peek.
  • If you’re interested. On sale, immediately opposite the lagoon. There is the smell and the mosquitos though.
  • Yeah, I got him to stroll with me!
  • He is so cheerful because the walk was short.
  • The path continues to the end of this promontory but we didn’t go there.
  • Pretty wildflowers.
  • I forgot the name of this one. It’s starting.
  • This ignore sign has been successfully ignored for years.
  • The burst of colour at the roundabout.

For:

NaPoWriMo 2021 Button with black background

This day in my NaPoWriMo history (2018): 

Do not

whatever you do
around me,
beware not to:

speak falsely
bat eyelashes
especially at my man

but most of all
do not hurt a person or an animal
young and defenceless

do not groom a child
into thinking the world
is something else

do not make them believe
this is what they want
because if you do

it will not end well for you
even if you are far
and I don’t know you

you’ll see

But I wish to draw your attention to both other NaPo posts from this day:

In 2019, I combined two poems with all five senses about a door that my sister found:

In 2020, I wrote a wicked stream of con to a monster prompt but it all makes sense, especially with lovely photos of my parents in their garden of Edam and Ava:

50 thoughts on “Day 25: Liberation day”

  3. Lovely, humourful, human! I think in my heart I must admit I no longer know what a door is for, myself. But I am pleased you went out of doors – who needs doors when there is open air and a stunning lagoon with wildflowers and your buddies, the regulars? You are such a talented photographer. I always love the interplay of your words and images. Hope you enjoy the incremental freedoms as they are doled out to you, and I hope you can retire your spreadsheet soon!

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  4. Spring has sprung in your pictures! I greatly enjoyed the poem as well, especially this part:

    “It is nothing worse than to be officially
    and unofficially liberated
    and still not go anywhere.”

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  7. Congratulations Manja on being featured. Beautiful photographs as always. It gave me a respite for a while from being behind doors. And the poem was delightful. All our spreadsheets seem to be growing longer. If only we could step out again- even with a mask would be fine. I like the idea of sharing previous NaPoWriMo posts of the same day. It’s like getting them out to see the light of day.

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    1. Thank you so much, Smitha! 🙂 I’m glad I could give you some respite. You’re right – we are growing lists. 😀 This idea about sharing previous posts came to me and I embraced it, but then I realised that I can only do it one time… Some deserves a new light of day but many don’t.

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  10. I love this ramble. Too.\ bad it didn’t lead to a kebab, but it seems you don’t bemoan that fact. I think the yellow flower you passed is an iris. Is the red on the right side of the ninth photo a plastic bag or a cluster of flowers? I know the top bit of red is a flower, but the bottom larger red spot looks different. As you can see, my mind went on a walk with you. One more question. What does turning yellow mean? Congrats on having your fine poem chosen to be featured for NaPoWriMo!!!!

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    1. Thank you, Judy, for reading and strolling along. Hahha, I assumed (wrongly) that the whole world is in the same sort of colour scheme where becoming a yellow zone means being relatively free to roam, compared to red and orange what we were since October until now (with one yellow week in between). Pandemically speaking, that is. Next, I had a close look and can confirm that all the red spots in that photo are poppies, some are just older than others. The yellow one I don’t think it’s an iris, because blossoms grow high up on a bush and I don’t think irises do that. Besides, it smells really nicely and strongly, but not yet. All well to you!

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  14. 👋 congrats on the feature and thank you for the photos to brighten my day 😉 I too love an unexpected wander! Scotland goes from Level 4 to 3 today, but I feel hesitant…had a lovely sunny school run and the birds are in full voice here, however 😀

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  18. This poem is messing with my brain. With each new stanza, it takes me somewhere unexpected, but somewhere so relatable. I catch myself nodding my head vigorously while reading. I catch myself saying “Wow!” And that ending! You outdit yourself here and you know I love your poetry already. I am so glad you were the featured participant, it is well-deserved.

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    1. Ohh, Nataša, this means so much. That someone whose poetry I admire so comes over and leaves such a nice comment under my poem! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. When I saw the show was closed, I knew that life wrote the ending better than I ever could. 😉 I hope we get today’s prompt soon! Full moon is calling.

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  21. “They forgot what a door is for.”

    Perfect. Yesterday I took my mom out for a couple of my errands – to the art supply and the office supply shops. We’d been out before but this is the first time we really just shopped – not feeling pressured to run in and out – and we were both exhausted afterwards. I have to remind us both – we’re both fully vaccinated now and even though caution must still be applied – we CAN do things and should. I’m working up my courage to go to a local museum next!

    Thanks for your great poem and the wonderful images too – felt like I was tagging along after you.

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    1. Thank you most kindly, Mary Beth. 🙂 I’m so glad that you came along and added your imagery. Yes, yes, we should, even though neither of us has been vaccinated yet. I think I’ll need to reach my native Slovenia for that. I’m really glad that you liked my poem. Sunday was a good day with a poetic finish. 🙂

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    2. Also I left you a comment on your Day 23 about linking to one of your poems, and today – after seeing that you’re a folk-singing leftie – I invite you to read my next poem from this one, Diamonds or Bust. 😀 It’s not a parody, I swear! I love her too much for that.

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  22. Manja this poem is so perfect and I’m very happy you were featured with this one, so more people can discover what a delight it is to have access to your mind through your writing. I enjoyed every stanza of your poem, and how true to life it is; how it follows the ups and downs of a single day. You were heading out too early, buoyed by the hope of the official yellow category in only one more day, but hopes dashed, but then an unexpected boon. You have this conversation that shows how differently you are coping with being cooped up. “30 pages and 1000 destinations” ha ha ha! I laughed out loud. You look back and realize how great it was that the combination of pandemic levels and holidays somehow resulted in a walk with Amore, and new photos to gaze at. All of this is like our lives today. Your poem captures it perfectly.

    I had the question about colours too. I think you mentioned a colour in an email a while back, and I figured it out. I should have said something then, ha. A comment above mentions Levels in Scotland. I had to check what we’ve got here. In Oregon we have High Risk Level, Moderate Risk Level, and Lower Risk Level, and we move back and forth through them depending on rate of new reported cases. I think. Anyway, Portland’s level has improved, but out here in the country, my two local counties have moved backward into High Risk again. *sigh* I have 1000 destinations in mind too. I visit them in my mind every day.

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    1. Thank you so much, Crystal. ❤ The other poems can wait but this one couldn't. Truth be told, this list I've had been putting together for a while, it wasn't a result of the quarantine. It's a work of art. 😉 And then I don't go anywhere, even when I can. 😦 It's dangerous to keep staying home like this. I'm sorry for your High-Risk Level. But yes, let's visit in our minds and travel together. For now…

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      1. Oh but I KNOW it! My list is a years in the making labour of love as well, and I feel as though I can relate to where you’re coming from in the line of the poem. I did revise my list as a result of the pandemic though, and decide that I needed to make sure I went to destinations that improved my relationships, and were not only for entertainment. At least until I feel connected to people again.

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    1. Thank you kindly, Aashish. I’ve been compiling this list for eight years now, ever since moving to Tuscany, and some of it has been checked off already. Not so much in this past year, but it will continue. Always welcome.

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