Ceylon’s Lights in Verona

By Bella Balisi-Bevilacqua

Verona smiled, so shadows play, 

As my soul wandered far from the light of day. 

The lanterns glowed in amber thread, 

Like dreams, the moonlight softly fed. 

The tiles held heat from strangers’ feet, 

And incense murmured bittersweet. 

Ceylon’s quiet kissed my skin, 

A warmth that curled from deep within. 

Something passed—a silent drift, 

Trays of spiced warmth were a timeless gift. 

My gaze was snagged, a flickering hue,

Then something stirred… and I saw you. 

Not by name or spoken word, 

No echo traced, a greeting heard. 

But something danced just out of reach, 

Like waves that sigh upon a beach. 

The menu blurred, the music slowed, 

And in my chest, a current flowed. 

A plate of gold, a glass of wine, 

Awoke a hush of strange fire. 

I tried to dine, I tried to stay, 

But soul and sight had slipped away. 

The lights—they shimmered not for food, 

But lit a path through quietude. 

A laugh behind the curtain’s fold, 

A flash of silver—young yet old. 

My breath forgot its careful pace, 

And left my lips to chase your face. 

Food pulls to something near, 

Cloaked in spice and a silent ear. 

I saw your eyes in candle’s gleam, 

Half-truths unravel the dream. 

The ceiling bore your outline too quaint, 

As if the smoke had learned to paint. 

And when the bill arrived, too soon, 

Regret dripped gently with the moon. 

I left a chair not just unclaimed— 

But blessed, and cursed, and never named. 

The lights still danced, seductive, kind, 

But couldn’t still my leaping mind. 

Ceylon remains, its glow intact, 

Yet every step walks looking back. 

What turned my head was not just light— 

Sweet Verona is fading out of my sight.

#CeylonVerona #LightsofCeylon #SoulsandSpices #VeronaVibing #Fading #PoemsAndFood #VeronaCuisine #Verona #CulturalVisitsVerona #Italy @ceylonrestaurantvr (MBB)

18 July 2025, Via Albere 09, Verona, IT