Dawn rises above the waters
Slapping the Venice Islands to gold
Crossing the arched bridge
Into the Rialto Market
My vest and robes are brown mud
My stall is stocked with fish & spice
From faraway lands, beyond the seas
Where the sun is goddess of ice
The tides are low as boats
Move towards the Grand Canal
In the square, under the Church bells
The market is noisy & aggressive as gulls
I barter and make deals
My word is good as gold
I sink my teeth to silver coins
To trade is to be bold
My pocket is lined with parchments
My biggest haul is selling slaves
Caught and weighed in the market
The skin of young men & women
are sold as concubines
Even convents need slaves
for domestic labor in the field, the galleys
are stocked with slaves until their graves
I sell death sentences
That dark gondolier is my slave
No festival mask can hide my gleaming eyes
As I stake my future in this market
Where I can reap great fortunes
Or where I can lost everything
By misfortune or due the wars
Midnight or dawn, this business is king
Notes:
The Venetian slave trade refers to the slave trade conducted by the Republic of Venice, primarily from the early to the late Middle Ages. The slave trade was a contributing factor to the early prosperity of the young Republic of Venice as a major trading empire in the Mediterranean Sea.
Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - MTB: It Begins at Dawn, hosted by Laura Bloomsbury. I had a fortunate experience of spending some time in Venice as part of my Italy vacation. I learned the good and ugly from the local tour guides. Thanks for your visits and comments.
