Autumn Poetry: Poesia dell'autunno

 

Japanese Maple leaves in my yard

"Lo spettacolo era magnifico;  i larici dorati accanto agli abeti sempreverdi e agli ontani con le foglie rossicce formavano un quadro vivente. L' azzurro intenso del cielo rendeva ancora piu' pieni quei colori; le ombre lunghe davano profondità alla visione."

The view was magnificent: golden larch trees, amidst evergreens and red alder leaves, created a live painting. The deep blue of the sky rendered the ​​colors even richer, while the long shadows gave depth to the vision.

These words arrived today in an email from my friend Luigi, as he recounted a recent trip to Val d'Aosta in northwest Italy. Luigi has been a steadfast companion since the early days of my journeys in Italy, nearly six years ago, and we often spark each other's creative spirit. Inspired by his words, I took a walk down a tree-lined street in my neighborhood this afternoon. The weather was balmy and windy, and I watched as leaves swirled along the streets or joined piles of other castoffs already accumulating in empty yards. Fallen leaves crunched noisily beneath my feet, dry and dusty, before scampering away in the wind.

Backlit by the sun, the trees that lined the street, one after another, created a vibrant luminosity. It was like gazing through a large kaleidoscope: brilliant hues and combinations of colors swirled together, creating a masterpiece of autumn beauty. I could see patterns of various colors mixing together in magnificent combinations. Hues of green, yellow, orange, red, and brown, often blended together in one leaf, created a wondrous feast for the eyes. Like snowflakes, no two leaves were alike, and the mixture of  colors seemed infinitesimal. I stood in awe under one particularly large and colorful oak tree, struck by the hues of green, yellow and red in each leaf. Even after one of the hottest summers on record, autumn is dressed in her finest and most colorful gowns this year. I'm happy to be a witness to this splendid beauty.

 

 "Insomma il paesaggio era una festa per i miei occhi."

In short, the landscape was a feast for my eyes.