Two Tickets to Venice

Over the isles, the sea, and the Veneta lagoon
we landed down in great Venezia at day break,
I quenched my begging thirst that afternoon
and for the first time in years I felt awake.

On a gondola in the canal, in old opera houses,
through St. Mark's Square and the parliaments,
in all six sestieri and in the borque palaces
your hand was held in my own wherever we went.

In your eyes I saw a heart's passion of heritage,
by sharing this with me my old faith will renew,
and as the sun set to twilight at the water's edge
I fell for Venice almost as much as I fell for you.