In Tuscany

In Tuscany

Outside the duomo, pigeons peck at the rice
Friends and family threw at the newlyweds,
Who, on their honeymoon, are having  
Their first fight since becoming betrothed,
A gleeful, exhilarating fight that later
Tonight will crumble into lovemaking.
An hour ago, a man everyone is kind to,
Who never learned to read or write,
Blew all the candles out and closed
The massive doors. Sometimes he dreams
Of a fire he is responsible for, only to wake
And realize it was only a dream.
In the dark church, Mary Magdalene 
Sets down the jar of oil she's been holding
All day and combs out her long, unruly hair
Like a girl combing her hair in the mirror,
Remembering the way he looked at her. 
In one of the houses you pass on your way
Home someone is singing, but when 
You stop to listen, they stop.