It’s never enough
never too strong
the anticipation
makes my body quiver
I can feel when it’s coming—
a coolness on my lips
before a warmness on my tongue
a velvet night travels through me
a few seconds with eternity
before I’m back in the world—
an opera of cups
shakes me
and I’m already thinking
of the next time
wishing
for more black shimmer
for its bittersweet edge
to delight me ever so slowly
Most of my wishes or desideri are as passionate about coffee as I am. The first thing I do in the morning is have a caffè lungo, and the rest of the day espresso. Caffè is fundamental to Roman life. And it’s a language in Italy. Its motions and mysteries, rituals and roads, keep us desiring more. I’ve been to a myriad of famous coffee bars, such as Rome’s oldest Antico Caffé Greco, Caffè Doria, Er Baretto Caffè, Sant’ Eustachio Caffè, and even more unknown ones. But I keep returning to the coffee at Dolci Desideri: La Pasticceria, opened in 1958 on Via Anton Giulio Barrili in stunning Monteverde. I discovered it a few years ago when I moved part-time to Italy, and started teaching at the American University of Rome, a ten-minute walk away. I’ve been faithful to the delirium it delivers ever since.
