The ocean
Seemed much farther away.

Maria´s family, the Rutigliani
Lived near Piazza Colamussi
In the neighborhood of Rutigliano.

Five miles from the shore
In Bari, capitol of Apulia
On the Adriatic Sea.

Her ancestors built
The Castello di Rutigliano

Every Sunday after Mass
The family went to the ocean
Mola di Bari public beach.
Took the streetcar

To Viale Europa Unita,
The broad boulevard
That runs along the shore.

Spiaggia libera ali blue.
Fountains, wading pools,
Waterfront ristorante & bars,
Public bathhouses,
Shade pavilions.

She delighted in the waves
Painted on the wall
Of the small outdoor café

Where her father sat
Under an umbrella
Watching the young women
In their swimsuits.

Maria sat on a beach chair
Under her hat,
In her bathing suit.
Venturing into the water
In the summertime.

The Adriatic was 83 degrees,
Swimming in the sea.

Mother sat on a towel
On a strandkorb
While the boys ran free.

Maria watched for young men
Who might be suitable,
Those she would dismiss.
She loved coming to the sea.

---

Stephen Barile is an award-winning poet from Fresno, California, and a Pushcart Prize nominee. He attended Fresno City College, Fresno Pacific University, and California State University, Fresno. His poems have been anthologized, and published in numerous journals, both print and on-line. He taught writing at Madera College, and CSU Fresno. (50 words)