ITALIAN KISSES

I awaken to something subtly tickling my arm. It has to be his breath on my skin.

 After all these years, I can sense when he is near without even opening my eyes. 

I take a deep breath and let the warmth of the sun awaken me fully. I open my 

eyes and am surprised to see that I’m outside on the veranda, alone. My eyes 

focus on the distant hills of pale green and the lush dark green valley below. 

I am overwhelmed by a feeling of calm for a moment then my mind starts to make

sense of it all. Where is he? He should be with me here in this moment, but he is not.

I close my eyes and try to remember his face but it blurs. I try to remember his 

voice but it is distant and I can’t make out what he is saying. I try to reach out 

and touch him but I can’t quite reach him. Then I remember his kisses. 

Oh those kisses! That is one thing about him I will never forget. So soft and 

gentle but passionate at the same time. Oh those kisses!

Before I allow the sadness to over take me, I look again out at the beautiful 

rolling hills and the green valley with the wide stream running through it. 

I remember the walks and the talks, the laughs and the tears, the future and the fears. 

But mostly I choose to remember the kisses. Oh those kisses!