The
last I saw her was 1955.
An
Eminence in ebony.
My
Great grandmother.
At
100 or so (Cent’ anni.)
An
Alma mater.
A
Madonna.
Out-living
half of her 14 children.
An
18th century culture.
A
19th century persona.
In
20th century America,
A
land of gritty tenements/
A
life of true grit.
Leaving
the Kingdom of Italy to history.
Bridging
“Cavalera Rusticana”
to
“Rock Around the Clock.”
Pietro
Mascagni meets Bill Haley.
Italo-Americans.
Begetting
a generation of
aunts
and uncles and cousins.
