Back in Florence


With thanks to Lesley Bannatyne,
Going Places Magazine, January-February 2008

Florence is like free falling back 500
years
The ultimate Renaissance art-and-
history

In the center of the Duomo
You feel the same chilly dampness
As he gazed skyward
Envisioning the marvel of a grand
dome

The ceilings are a wonderland
Of colorful frescoes and carvings
A menagerie of majestic marble
figures
Surrounded by street musicians
And a cadre of costumed performers

Under a domed skylight
Is Michelangelo’s David
The boy who brought down Goliath
It first raised the possibility that
Human beings are destined
Not for a life of suffering-
But for one of beauty

Also in the room
Are four statues-in-progress
Michelangelo’s Slaves
The four figures are frozen
As they emerge from huge blocks of
marble

A profound metaphor
A unique insight
The face, torso, and shoulders were
carved first
As if the form were inside the marble
Waiting to emerge

In a salon
Filled with Christian religious
paintings
Botticelli’s Greek goddess rises from
the sea
Her long, blonde hair curled around
her hips
The first of it’s time
To feature a non-religious theme

Synonymous with the beginnings
Of Renaissance Humanism
With the idea
The hearts and minds of men
Had value outside of the church