Puoi Portare La Spesa? 1958.

Can you bring my groceries? 

The Italian woman asked. 

The old woman 

stood on the stairs of the flats 

breathing hard 

two shopping bags 

beside her.  

I nodded

Sure, 

I said 

and carried her bags 

upstairs and along 

the balcony 

and waited outside her flat. 

She came along slowly 

and out of breath. 

She fingered in her purse 

to give me coins. 

No no, 

I said. 

She smiled. 

Grazie, 

she said. 

I walked back 

along the balcony. 

The afternoon sun shone. 

My mother said 

it was beans on toast 

for teatime. 

I said nothing 

about the Italian woman 

and her shopping. 

After teatime 

I stood on the balcony 

and watched 

the late afternoon sun 

fade away 

closing another day.