ALESSIO ZANELLI

October Morning Drink

The autumn loves to play tricks,
it’s a tireless prankster.

The blue as far as the eye can see
and the warmth on my skin
are just the latest of its gimmicks.

Too many people in the square
for a working day.

Too much light,
and an odd composure all around.

In turn I wonder
what I’m doing here,
sitting quiet
at a table alfresco.

It’s not even happy hour.

I’m staring
at the disk of sky
floating in the glass,
when a small shadow
darts nearby.

The pigeon’s dropping
spatters on the paper cloth,
a few inches from my phone.

The waitress’s shifty smile
glides over the pavement
and lands in my pupils.

That was time’s final warning.

I wave my hand
and write in the air at her,
my check has long been waiting
in her waist pouch.

Alessio Zanelli is an Italian poet who writes in English. His work has appeared in about 250 literary journals from 21 countries. His sixth collection, titled The Invisible, was published in 2024 by Greenwich Exchange (London). 

For more information, please visit www.alessiozanelli.it and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessio_Zanelli.