Stiamo guidando l’autobus per Flavortown! 

but will settle for some

Queen’s or King’s English,

“We are riding the bus to flavor town.”

Diner, drive-in e immersioni

was the mantra once a week

I chanted.

Then it would 

begin: 

Bell’uomo, beautiful man,

tantalizing my taste

buds with the food 

fit for no Royalty– 

well, Dante Alighieri 

may have found the fare

on some level

worth eating–

I can hear DA say, 

Bella Luna,

never,

Bella Gaetano.

But, I am not ashamed

and will not closet myself

because the pedestrian food 

I loved to see each week

made me ask 

Mamma, puoi farmi un sandwich di formaggio grigliato con cipolla e pomodoro,

Mom can you make me a grilled cheese sandwich with onions and tomato,

instead of, Cacio e Pepe. 

La mamma mi perdoni, mother forgive me, 

bellissima donna avrai sempre il mio cuore e la mia anima,

beautiful woman, you will always have my heart and soul.

*Cacio E Pepe, is black pepper, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, mixed together with pasta. 

David Calogero Centorbi is a writer living in Detroit, MI. Published work in The Daily Drunk, Dreams Walking, Versification, Brown Bag Online, and Crepe & Pen. He can be found here on Twitter: @DavidCaCentorbi.