Birthday

dear sestri levante,
thank you
for the most
gorgeous birthday
i could have ever
never imagined

tonight
before the last song
as i was doing the thank yous,
the whole crowd
lit sparklers
and sang happy birthday
to me as this exquisite cake
was walked down the stairs
to the stage.

i cried
on cue

it was spectacular

and now
i’ll start at
the beginning

i slept last night
which was a new
experience for me
and which was very
very wonderful
i am going to try
to do it as much as
possible in the future

i got up
ate two donut peaches
and went straight
to the beach where
parker, rob and i
lay happily on our
loungers and took in
the rays of vitamin D

we must have looked
like dead people
lying there motionless

3 hours of total
sun satisfaction
and a good
swim as well

the whole beach situation
in italy is such a trip
with the guy showing you
to your specifically numbered
umbrella and sun chairs

it’s the opposite of the airports
where everyone just pushes
and cuts each other in line

it’s very civilized
unlike coney island
or the jersey shore
where you fight for
the best spot
when it’s prime time

the combination of
black sand and turquoise water
just doesn’t get
more beautiful
than that

i thought i was
clever calling it
“the italian riviera”
until i found out
that that’s been
it’s nickname
for ages.

today i got 2 gelato cones.
which is about standard
for me in summer in italy
the fact that this country
has liquirizia gelato though,
should possibly allow it leniency
in other parts of the country-
government- for example
..or road works.

after soundcheck,
we walked around
watched the sun set
and laughed
about how we got
a bit too much sun
when we thought
we were getting
almost nothing

traveling all the time
makes us desperate
to make the most of
the tiny slices of time
we do have free

but i felt like we did.

√beach
√gelato
√sunset
and then after the show
√dinner

tonight i experienced
how pesto is supposed
to taste

now
i am a woman who likes pesto
i have grown my own basil
and made my own pesto
many different varieties
many times

but what i ate tonight
may keep me from
ever attempting to make it again
it was sweet and smooth
with absolutely no bitterness
and just melted into the taste buds
like it was nourishing them with wisdom

okay
enough of the food talk…
this could go on ad infinitum.

it is now 4am and i’ve got to play
the last italian show tomorrow-
in carpi-
so i am off to dreamland

thank you again, italy,
for your warmth and love
on the anniversary of my birth.
i will never forget.