They may have been our fourth set of visitors so far this year, but their stay felt no less momentous as a result. For this visit was the first time my nephew, the youngest of my late sister’s three grown-up children, and his partner had come to stay with us, either in the UK or here in Italy. Consequently, with so much catching up to do, so many sights to see, so many places to go and so many things to say, there was little time for putting pen to paper. So after a couple of days’ pause for reflection, here are some snapshots of a very special few days expressed in haiku.
That same sweet fizz of
Excitement, rising as if
Bubbles in champagne
An embrace so tight
I feel our hearts beat in time
Pumping our shared blood
Languid splashing in
Limpid lake and sapphire sea
Bathed in golden sun
Shared love of music
A night at the opera
Goose-bumps and tingles
Sprawled beneath bright stars
Wine-loosened conversation
Late into the night
Sharing memories
That connect aunt and nephew
Now and for all time
Weaving more tightly
The tapestry of kinship
That time cannot fray
Ms Marche 