look up into the silence

lost in a labyrinth of dead-end allies 

monolithic buildings crowd the view

yet narrow paths stroll over bridges

with wafts of pizza to guide you home

 

look up into the silence

in the shadows of a hidden sun 

towering rooms are tied together

with wires and cables in a tangled web

drawing lines between who's next door

 

look up into the silence

just hanging there are strings of life

towels and sheets and shirts and tops

that try to hide the more risqué 

but still we gaze and wonder what

 

look up into the silence

hear the echo of distant sounds 

pots and pans and creaking beds

tv’s and mobiles ping and pong

and jumbled chatter quiet as mice

 

look up into the silence

behind closed windows dare we peep

as protrusions into private souls

free the spirits from hidden rooms

to paint this city full of magic

 

look up into the silence 

built on more than one hundred isles

with water running through its veins 

feel the pulse and hear the trickle

see reflections in a Venetian dream