What I'm reading: Suddenly, it's the end of February...by Diego Valeri

The month of February has spun past me...I can't quite believe we're now almost into March. 

I pay tribute to Diego Valeri, a poet who loved Venice:

A Venezia, posata sul suo letto
d'acque marine e d'ali di gabbiani,
la primavera scende da una nuvola
grande, carica d'ombra, orlata d'oro.
E' la fine improvvisa di febbraio;
e l'ora che Venezia si ridesta
alla luce, al colore.  Sul suo volto
amoroso tracorrono pallori,
veli violetti, lampi di rossore;
ai suoi piedi si stendon le maree
come giardini: a Venezia, di marzo,
anche l'acqua da fiore.

In Venice, as it rests upon its bed
of waters from sea and seagulls' wings,
the spring descends from out of a great cloud,
charged with shadow, hemmed with threads of gold
Suddenly, it's the end of February,
the time when Venice wakes, and stirs itself
once more to light and colour.  Now across
the city's affectionate face pass all the pallors,
the violet veils, the blush of lightning flashes,
and at the city's feet tides spread themselves
like gardens. In Venice, in the month of March,
even the water's in bloom.

From Poesie inedite, o 'come' (1977)