A sunny wandering April drive

Mapless through the French countryside.

Rolling fields of bright brilliant yellow rapeseed and

Whispering-sweet Spring-scented blossoms fill our senses.

We crawl through narrow ways

Ancient clusters of moss-covered buildings

Cobblestone streets lined with gnarled greening trees

Which in their youth doubtless welcomed triumphant GIs

Along their liberation march towards Paris to the south

A small sign atop a door, a quick park,

A slow entry to a small shop

Blossom-scent replaced by warm butter

And bread and sugar and enveloping comfort

Bonjours and pantomimes guide us

In this patisserie of heavenly delights

We lean quietly against the car

Faces turned to the warm French sun

Hot, bitter, espresso in one hand

Warm, flakey, croissant in the other

Crumbs breaking off for the small darting birds

A destination reached A

We hadn’t known existed

When the day’s journey began.

TONY IOVINO is the founder and host of the acclaimed Summer Gazebo Reading series in Oceanside, NY. He is the author of “Notary Public Enemy” (Diversion Press, 2011) and numerous poems and essays.