AN ASTRO-PHOTO-POETRY MINI-DRAMA
NEAR JULIET’S BALCONY IN VERONA

-text and photos Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
design Florin Alexandru Stancu-

Should Verona mainly mean for a visitor
the antique arena for the fights of the gladiators,
transformed today into
a space for peaceful spectacles?



Or Juliet’s house,
the stage for one of the most beautiful love stories,
poetically described in the 16th century
by the great English poet-dramatist William Shakespeare?



In 18 July 2017 I arrived in Verona (265,000 inhabitants, today)
and I stopped near the Adige River.





















Obviously, then I went by foot to the immense arena
(30,000 places, made around 30 AD),
following the old walls which directed me to the Bra Square,
where I also admired Pallazo Barbieri
and Gran Guardia (oh, the Sun was right over it!).




































I continued to go to the Erbe Square,
where the Torre dei Lamberti (84 m high, founded in the 12th century)
appeared like a majestic medieval tentative to conquer the sky.














Then I turned back to the river.









For me, the greatest emotion on this Veronese itinerary
was to see Juliet’s balcony,
a pilgrimage place for those people from all over the world
who believe in true love.

I saw many of them (women and men)
taking pictures with the statue of the heroine from the 12th century
who became a symbol of devotion in her love to Romeo.












I personally dared only to kiss the hand of the statue
and to abandon myself into a photo-poetic dream
(for which I used a few images taken close to Verona on that morning):

Here it is:

PRAISE TO JULIET
-astro-photo-poetry mini-drama by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-



Right near Juliet’s balcony I said:

Juliet,
You have marked so much
My values and my principles
That I would give you
Colored leafs, colored flowers and colored clouds
Just for a smile from you!





But I didn’t receive any reply
So that I tried again:

Juliet,
You have marked so much
My values and my principles
That I would give you
Colored flowers, colored clouds and the Moon
Just for a smile from you!





But no answer, too,
So…

Juliet,
You have marked so much
My values and my principles
That I would give you
Colored flowers, the Moon and the Sun
Just for a smile from you!





How could I smile to you
(Finally replied Juliet)
When you are just a stranger?



Enthusiastic, I changed my offer:

Juliet,
I can take you with me in fight
Toward the Moon and toward the Sun!




Sorry
(Replied Juliet)
Only to speak with me
A better poet you should be!



I perseverated:

Juliet,
Then I can take you with me
Toward the Evening Star and toward the Sun!




Be serious man
(Replied Juliet, pouring a tear)
You are neither Romeo
Nor Shakespeare!




*

© 2017 SARM
(Romanian Society for Meteors and Astronomy)