Salmoneria

This curious little Monday morning

sticky-warm and flowery and bright

in the Via di Ripetta near Piazza di Popolo in Rome

I passed by a 'Salmoneria'

I had to turn and take a closer look:

Salmoneria...: Salmon

Salmon of all kind and fashion

Salmon smoked and cured and salmon fresh

Salmon whole, filleted, pulled, canned

Salmon in lemon, in oil, in herbs, in brine

Salmon from Norway, Alaska, from Scotland

Canary-birds chirped away in the cedars...

something felt utterly wrong

So I asked Salmon-Spirit:

“Salmon-Spirit my warm heart is bleeding

this...seems so utterly wrong...

what is this all about, what are your children doing here?

This is subtropical Rome...

...your domain is the wild North, the wild cold Northern Sea!”

And Salmon-Spirit spoke:

“True enough my friend...and my cold heart is bleeding too!

...having to release my children here

and under all inappropriate circumstances

to nurture the, most likely, wealthy ones...

times are enigmatic but we stand our ground and come to feed!”

“But now you tell me:

What are you doing here, what is that all about?

Your domain is the North too!

Have you come to complain, to address accusations?”

“No, I said...and shyly looked left and right

to whisper: no...I walk these streets blessing all of creation...”

And he raised a scaled brow and replied:

“I am nearly tempted to invite you in here...

...fish and dark bread - hail to the living and the dead!”