Amore

With the news of the earthquake in Italy I remembered

Settignano, where I lived for a brief moment in what seems like another lifetime

A old world European village on a hillside overlooking Florence

It was amore when I met gelato for the first time

It looked too pretty to eat, all swirly and creamy, especially the stracciatella

I walked on the cobblestone sidewalks

Ciao I said to the friendly smiles 

I heard the vroom vroom of the young romantics in leather jackets on motorcycles outside bars impressing American girls looking for amore

I think about broken amore and cracks in Italy not far from this hillside village

Cracks in the Earth and cracks within me and cracks that happen over and over and over again

All over the world to all people of all types throughout time

Are there lessons in these cracked places where hearts break?

Forgiving the cracked places, even if reluctantly, so sunlight can come in again

Piecing together the fragile bits and pieces because that is how we rebuild ourselves and each other

Staying in the cracked places because if we were kids playing hide and go seek, the cracked places would be good hiding spots

Looking beyond the cracked places because we ultimately want to be found 

Trusting the cracked places because I have been told that is where faith lives