Author Archives: wongswyn

Close Encounters II: darling bud of june?

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A beautiful macro photograph of a spiky, delicate flower bud from a plant likely to be a type of broom, a common Tuscan wildflower.

Close Encounters I: mourning dew?

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A close-up photograph of a single red poppy with delicate, thin petals that droop mournfully. The flower appears dewy, and the image captures the intimate beauty of a single poppy on a walk in Tuscany, serving as a visual introduction to the 'Close Encounters' series.

Tuscan Irrelevancies X: last suppers

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A detail from the famous classical fresco 'The Last Supper' by Duccio di Buoninsegna. The 14th-century painting shows Jesus and his apostles seated at a long, rectangular table in a traditional composition.
Duccio di Buoninsegna, The Last Supper, Opera del Duomo, Siena, fresco
An ornate, circular stained-glass window depicting 'The Last Supper' in a beautiful mosaic of bright colors. The image's location in a cathedral or church and its unique design provide a distinct religious and artistic take on the theme of 'last suppers'.

Pastorino de’ Pastorini, Opera del Duomo, Sienna, stained glass
A vibrant and colorful contemporary painting of 'The Last Supper' by Christopher Lehmpfuhl, displayed in a well-lit gallery space. The artwork features abstract, expressive figures in a modern style, contrasting with the classical and traditional depictions of the same scene presented elsewhere in the post.
Christopher Lehmpfuhl, Bindella Vineyard

back in rome
after that tuscan week
we also needed three
on three successive nights 
to say goodbye 
fully



Tuscan Irrelevancies IX: two marys

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A photograph of the facade of the Basilica of Mary of the Angels and Martyrs, a church in Rome. The brick facade is built into an ancient Roman structure with three large arched entrances.
Basilica of Mary of the Angels and Martyrs
on the same afternoon i visit both
one famous for angels and martyrs
like so many marys 
i’ve encountered this trip
the other where 
finally
she takes the win
or as it’s more officially known
Santa Maria Della Vittoria
st mary of the victory

i’m so pleased 
at this protean feminism
i forget 
to take a picture

Tuscan Irrelevancies VIII: high and low

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A panoramic photograph of the rooftops and cityscape of Florence, Italy, taken from the top of Brunelleschi's Cupola on the Duomo. The image provides a 'high' perspective of the city under a clear blue sky, contrasting with the more intimate subject of the second image.
view from top of brunelleschi cupola, florence duomo
A solemn photograph of Michelangelo's marble sculpture of 'The Deposition,' housed in the Florence Duomo Museum. The sculpture captures a moment of grief and loss, representing the 'low' and emotional counterpoint to the city view in the post
the deposition, michelangelo, florence duomo museum ground floor

Tuscan Irrelevancies VII: eyes right

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A vibrant, multi-panel early Renaissance painting from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, depicting a group of religious figures. The painting's composition is centered on the central figure of St Yves, whose gaze is directed toward the right, where the poor and destitute stand, rather than the left where the rich townsfolk stand.
St Yves administering justice
upstairs of michelangelo‘s david
only an unnamed painter 
dismissed as mediocre
(described barely by association 
with influencers Agnolo Gaddi and Lorenzo Monaco
themselves hardly tik tok stars in this academy)
empathises with the needy, the orphans and widows
depicts st yves advocate of the poor 
ignoring the fawning rich on his left
dispensing small rights to the under side

Tuscan Irrelevancies VI: loss

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A photograph of a narrow, quiet cobblestone street in the small, medieval village on Isola Maggiore, an island on Italy's Lake Trasimeno. The image, with its ancient stone buildings and faded plaster walls, evokes a sense of history and the passage of time.

roman legions trudged through borgetto the evening before
camping at lake tresimano where the next June dawn 
2241 years ago almost to this day 
befogged betwixt the mongrel hordes of Hannibal they were
defeated

cyclists traversing lake‘s circuit criss cross this solo walker
and the lone Kress 1200R robot lawnmower tending its grounds 
should they wish sight of the 258 borgetto inhabitants 
remaining according to the 2001 census they would be 
disappointed

later that day massimo of nearby passignano informs that 
borgetto lies at the intersection of umbria and tuscany
occupies the communes tuoro, cortona and castiglione
to which when property taxes are due they are paid
trisected
A wide-angle photograph of tranquil Lake Tresimano with rolling hills on the far side, under a clear blue sky.
view of castiglione del lago from malpasso gap

Tuscan Irrelevancies V: feeding time

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…on the footpath between Tuoro and Castiglione del lago, fortified by muesli and fruit, others i meet feed as they need

Tuscan Irrelevancies IV: EN 60601

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Montepulciano vista
this was the panorama around the corner where
the mandatory defibrillator stood casually by

might such placement be
one wonders
in case cardiac excitation
precipitates a need for 
immediate resuscitation

In 2021, semi-automatic and automatic electronic defribrillators (AEDs) became mandatory in public places in Italy

Tuscan Irrelevancies III: duomo arigato

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An interior photograph of the main altar and high apse of the Cortona Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta). The image shows the ornate chandelier and painted ceiling, capturing the grand and sacred atmosphere of the church.
oh dear it’s not 
Saint Peter’s basilica
the Santa Maria del Fiore 
of flowers in Florence 
the Venice San Marco 
Assisi Saint Francis
or even the Parma 
tailing at tenth
of famous duomos in Italy

the Cortona Cathedral 
on republic day is alive
with real worship
as three pews of
neighbourhood youngsters
earnest with their parents
consecrate themselves in
the ceremony of first communion

and one not yet of age
kneels in anticipation 
of tomorrow’s grace

A mid-distance photograph of the interior of the Cortona Duomo, focusing on the ornate pulpit and a section of the nave. Figures in the pews suggest a ceremony in progress, adding a human element to the grand architecture of the Tuscan cathedral.
A close-up photograph of a young boy in a suit kneeling on the checkered floor of the Cortona Duomo. The image's solemn focus on the child reflects the poem's theme of a 'ceremony of first communion' and the personal significance of the experience.