Waiting for grappa in the Alta Acqua Libreria ...

Idling in the Sestiere Castello, I let chance guide me across its sun drenched campos and campiellos - 

I walked under the gaze of marble angels - I saw shuttered windows high above mysterious courtyards - 

Mazy canals were spanned by narrow bridges - above a doorway there was a face of twisted stone - 

*

In the Campiello del Tintor, off the Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa, I came upon a bookshop - 

A sign said The most beautiful bookshop in the world - 

I went inside at once, remembering Jay's praise of the Livraria Lello - 

Disordered rooms were heaped ceiling high with books - 

A gondola was crewed by foxed volumes - there were boxes of post cards, fragile magazines, sex comics, missals - 

There were books in all languages - I explored a dark ravine of science fiction - I lingered in a canyon of philosophy - 

A doorway opened onto milky blue water - a girl sat reading in an antique chair - painted upon a green door were the words Alta Acqua Libreria - 

A man of utterly dissolute appearance smoked a cigarette - he threw back his head, blowing the smoke up towards the ceiling -

I half expected to be offered a grappa, for music to be played, for wild dancing to start - 

This would be, I thought, a bookshop Annick would have loved - 

13.13

Friday August 21 2015

Alta Acqua Libraria

Venice