"ON "H" IN SICILY" - a poem.

July 17. Nicosia - central Sicily.
Confession time!
I've been on "H" for nearly a month now.
There have been ups and downs.

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Some peculiar “side effects” too.
I was warned about that.
It’s summer, and I might add
a typical scorcher.
It started in Rome
(right from day one).
I was about a week on "H" there.
And I definitely wasn't the only one.
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One of the “side effects”
unless I'm hallucinating
is that my arms, legs and face
have all changed colour!
My “cooked” judgement is that
this “side effect” will continue.
Oh, and I've started losing weight -
a very sure sign of being on "H".
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When I've been "very high"
(a local Sicilian expression is "sopra Capizzi")
hoping to chill out
I've been using "G" too.
No point in keeping it secret.
I've tried "Coke" too.
Coke is OK but basically the bottom line is
"H" is better, it’s the real business.
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I'm hooked - hook, line and sinker
hooked good and proper.
No getting way from that.
Don't get me wrong
I don't want to get away from it!
----
I don't hold the Italian or Sicilian
“mafia” responsible
for my being on "H" or "G" or "Coke".
The curious truth is that
even though I'm NOT a victim
I am kinda hoist by my very own petard.
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Nobody “pushed” this situation in my face,
there were no “peer pressures”.
I decided for myself what I wanted,
when I wanted, and in what amounts,
and at whatever cost
I was going to have it!
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A nice long “H”oliday
“G”elato a-plenty
with the occasional COKE
thrown in, just for good measure!
Double dangerous . . . . . oooaaarrrr!

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I.C. NICOSIA - 17 JULY 2000.

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For an indexed Madonie Region locations map click < here >.

For an indexed Nebrodi Region locations map click < here >.

For a full up to date chronological list of all SICILY ABLAZE blog page titles click < here >.

NEVER FORGETTIN' GERACI SICULO, GALATI MAMERTINO's SWEET SMILIN' "KNICKERS LADY" TOTALLY TRUMPS TRENDY HOODED NICOSIA FASHIONISTA!

--------------- NOT FORGETTIN' GERACI SICULO (2005)

SWEET SMILIN' GALATI MAMERTINO "KNICKERS LADY" (1989).

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---------- TRENDY HOODED NICOSIA FASHIONISTA (2002).
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CLICK on individual images for ENLARGEMENT, CLARIFICATION and GALATI GRATIFICATION!!

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The photographs speak for themselves. The Geraci foto was taken in the immediate vicinity of the S Guiseppe shrine/shelter <blogged> previously .

For an indexed Madonie Region locations map click <here>.
For an indexed Nebrodi Region locations map click <here>.

For a full up to date chronological list of all SICILY ABLAZE blog page titles click <here>.

"SAYS THE HAND OF ONE WHO KNOWS" - MADONIE BUTTERFLY RESCUE POEM.

CLICK on IMAGE to ENLARGE text.

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The creature at the heart of this "postcard home" poem, trapped inside a car, was rescued back in June 2005. Between the lines (so to speak) this poem harked back to the "Helter Skelter" butterfly < here > Bivio Geraci and Gangi back in July 1998. Of course with such profusions of summertime butterflies the relatively carefree colourful creatures encounter mishaps. You see many of them lifeless along the roads - anyway before death they are a relatively carefree "holiday enhancing" blessing.

"ALL POWER TO MADONIE BUTTERFLIES!"

Now there's a slogan to shout across the sun drenched fields. Tho' perhaps not when the Carabinerie are within earshot or they might think you are using intoxicating "substances".

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For an indexed Madonie Region locations map click < here >.

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For an indexed Nebrodi Region locations map click < here >.

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For a full up to date chronological list of all SICILY ABLAZE blog page titles click < here >.

"...BREAK DANCING IN THE NUDE..." - A CAPIZZI - NEBRODI "ANTI-WAR" POEM.

CLICK on the above IMAGE to ENLARGE text .... and join with the POPE and the College of Cardinals in anti-warmongering nude break dancing. Ah Capizzi what an inspiration!
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This poem, was written at the

S. Antonio late August 2005 Capizzi festival -

two years before my previously posted poem

"AT THE VERY LAST LAMP ABOVE CAPIZZI" > here <.

And for another click here > "DAVID ROBIN KELLY COOK"
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For an indexed Madonie locations map click >> here <<.

For an indexed Nebrodi locations map click >> here <<.

For a full up to date chronological list of all SICILY ABLAZE blog page titles click >> here <<.

"SICILY ISN'T THE MOON" - A POEM.

"SICILY ISN'T THE MOON"
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I squatted to answer the call of nature
in the brilliant Sicilian summer sun
with unspoilt truly beauteous countryside all around.
Moorlands, mountains, great oak forests.
The tranquil, hallowed, birdwatcher’s
Lake of Cesaro just nearby –
of course the birds are watchers too!
Etna smoking away in the far distance.
Butterflies, insects, wild flowers and
great fields of purple thistles,
in their thousands. Bella Nebrodi.
Bella Sicilia.

A butterfly spotted a small bright red patch
sewn onto my leaf-green coloured rucksack and landed.
He or she has made a gentle mistake
but I am heartened by this curious mishap.
Within seconds of my act of nature
being begun, as though from every clime,
flies have come buzzing in.

I am open minded. I am reminded.
I am moved in my emotions, pleased to reflect,
to respect the fact that nature can be so raw,
can be such an astonishing, powerful potent force
even in its unattractive aspects.

Modern city life is designed
to remove us from raw nature.
Is there Godliness in all natural things?
Where does God’s wisdom lie in this?
But Sicily isn’t the Moon.
For if this were the Moon
and one single fly came by
this would be a “World Exclusive”
the scoop of a lifetime

fit for every front page and TV screen
and I’d be rich in other ways.
When I get to the Moon
the first thing I’ll do
is answer nature’s call
and keep my fingers crossed.

I.C. (1994).

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Top 3 foto's are of Nebrodi Park signage - the first is modern day (so to speak) while the handwriten one's were mid 1980's. The modern sign links in passing with the Madonie Park too.

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For an indexed site map of all MADONIE REGION locations click >> here <<.

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For an indexed site map of all NEBRODI REGION locations click >> here <<.

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For a full up to date chronological list of all SICILY ABLAZE blog page titles click >> here <<.

"A FLY IN THE PEAR JUICE" - A POEM.

Oh dear with several more to come later (be warned) we've already had "BISHOP IN THE GRASSES" and also (so far untranslatable) "YOU CAN'T DO MUCH BIZ WITH THE LIZ" and now we have:

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A FLY IN THE PEAR JUICE

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High up on a hillside
overlooking the sea
sat eating my breakfast
neath a nice shady tree
high diddely high diddely
high diddely dee

I’m eating my breakfast
sweet pear and bread roll
watching ants, a thin column
high diddely high diddely
high diddely doll

living’ in style
a plastic bag is my cloth
I’m eating the pear …
now the bread …
scoff scoff scoff

I’m cutting small pieces
of pear, yummy it tastes SO good (!!)
the juice forms a pool
in a crease in the cloth

down comes a fly
he’s seen me I’m sure
he heads straight for the juice
alas the juice cooks his goose
he tries and he tries
but he cannot get loose

there’s a fly in the pear juice
and he can’t swim a stroke
he’s beginning to look
like a pig in a poke

he’s going like crazy
but he can’t climb free
there’s a fly in the pear juice
lift him out? – NO, NOT ME!

there’s a fly in the pear juice
he should so happy be
now he’s eating a human
guess who could that be?

he’s eaten his legs
now his arms and his ears
now he’s scrunching his head
now he’s drinking his tears

and he’s loving that pear juice
YOU CAN TELL BY HIS FACE
but he spits out my nose
he’s got brilliant good taste!
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I.C. Sicily. June 1995.

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It's hardly surprising that when you're legging it around the gorgeous Sicilian Madonie and Nebrodi countryside sleeping under the stars that you occasionally get fascinatingly taken at close quarters by insect and other creaturistic forms - sometimes, as with flies for example, very often they ARE more entertaining and engaging than in inner city London. They can even serve to help remind you that at the end of the day SICILY ISN'T THE MOON - more enlightenment on this in due course.

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For a full up to date chronological list of all SICILY ABLAZE blog page titles click >> here <<.

"FROM GANGI TO MISTRETTA" - A POEM.

FROM GANGI TO MISTRETTA

The tranquil country road
from Gangi to Mistretta
whispers to your soul
gives you the kiss of life
massages your heart
opens you up
fills out your lungs

thrills
resuscitates, reinvigorates’
bathes your eyes
pats you on the back
rolls out the carpet
and takes you easily in its stride

Home from Home
the road
from Gangi to Mistretta
is THAT kind of road.

This was one of the earliest poems inspired by my Sicilian walking adventures. The road onwards from Bivio Comunello onwards towards Mistretta was incredibly peaceful, reassuring and beautiful. It was on this route that I was to discover and greatly enjoy stop overs at (previously mentioned) Giovanni Napoli's small wood.

The above sectional map is from the Madonie Regional larger map and the place names for the locations as numbered above can to be found >> here <<. At point 20 there is a small peaceful intersection road viaduct and on a few occasions when weather threatened I usefully holed up under there and let it all pass by.

For a full up-to-date chronological list of the SICILY ABLAZE blog postings click >> here <<.