Roman Fever.(Poem)

 
ROMAN FEVER 
 
   There were still cases of malaria in the 30s 
   in the marshland to the south of Rome. 
 
   Daisy Miller is not buried in the English Cemetery. 
   But Keats has a grave and an empty sepulchre. 
 
   I am a signora, never a signorina. 
   I don't have a fur coat but I do have gloves. 
 
   Anzac Day is also the day when Italy celebrates 
   her liberation. In the Military Cemetery she says 
 
   "At the rising of the sun and in the morning ...!" 
   A splendid uniform with a brass instrument 
 
   waits far off on a plinth for the shining moment. 
   The Last Post doesn't sound like the Last Post. 
 
   Nobody I ask knows who decided to eradicate 
   malaria or how the programme was put in place. 
 
   The woman in the post office slaps stamps on the 
   back of my letters so they go to my return address. 
 
   If there is sciopero a bustle of cellulari brings in 
   the rumour, then "Sciopero, sciopero," up the line. 
 
   Before I knew what the word meant I worked out 
   the gestures, the frisson, that meant No Tram. 
 
   For a time you could wander into the Colosseum 
   whenever you liked, like an innocent abroad and 
 
   catch a winged disease--and die. But Rome was 
   a healthy climate. Outside of the city gates young 
 
 ...