Almost forty is a new orange

Today celebrates my zen & funloving sister.

I found a fitting card and thought of leaving it at that.

Nah, cute but not true.

First I’ve gathered together some of my favourite photos that you took while visiting me. I like your views, they are similar to mine but more stressless.

On my beach

Off Capalbio

On the road

Towards Castiglione della Pescaia

Towards Cala Violina

Pitigliano watch

Orbetello Cathedral

The Prophet, Il giardino dei tarocchi

Niki de Saint Phalle knew.

The Pantheon floor, Roma

Spanish steps, Roma

Orvieto

Orvieto Cathedral

Roma

Orbetello

Sovana

Orvieto smile

Safe crash in Orbetello

Orbetello wisdom

Here we go go go!

Photo: KLU
Featured photo: Vatican selfie

And now all together with Suzanne Vega, one-two-three-four:

I am sitting in the morning
at my desk here in the corner.
I am waiting for my sister:
one more year and you turn forty!

I saw you reach the half way
and before I even argued
you were running towards thirty.
Black and white was the theme then.

It is always nice to see you
be it here or there or midway,
in our dreams or in the moment,
you are shaking our perceptions.

I may look the other way
as you are calling me Shamanya
and pretend not to be thinking
of those little crocodiles.

I open up my laptop.
There’s a story to be written
of the times when you were eighteen
and we fed the ducks in Vienna,

or the tales of all our concerts
with Norwegian flags and drumsticks,
when I’m feeling someone watching me
and so I raise my head.

There’s a woman on the outside
looking inside, do you hear me?
No, you do not really hear me
‘cos my Skype is having problems.

And I’m trying not to notice
while I’m working on the sound
that you’ve been checking out your eyebrows
and your hair gets in the way.

Oh this way it will continue through our lives
as we keep living by two seas and in two countries…

I am thinking of your zen

and of a midnight picnic once again
before I go back to my sea.

And I finish up this poem
and it’s time to catch the train.

Tatatararaaaaaaaaaatatararaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Happy birthday, sis. This card is more like it: