I only have two days left on my adventure 'til I go home,
And I better go see the main attraction of Rome.
I took the city bus number 109
To the Vatican to not wait in line.
I had bought entrance tickets at the station
So I wouldn't have to stand for hours, I am impatient.
I walked around and around the walls that enclose the Vatican
Only to see 100's waiting
But I bought an entrance ticket with a dating.
At 10:30 I bypass all the crowds and lines
Enter freely, just in time.
I had no idea that the Vatican was such a vast museum
I thought so similar to all the things that I have been seeing.
The Vatican became a sovereign state in 1929,
Governed only by the pope, the only absolute monarch of this time.
The church hundreds of years ago, began collecting relics of the past
To preserve any history of our planet so that they will last.
I entered the Egyptian rooms full of preserved mummies intact,
Jewels, inscriptions and other artifacts.
The Vatican is a maze and I did get lost and dizzy,
Winding from room to room, it was all too busy.
Original statues from the Greek, Roman and Etruscan era
Adorned rooms as you walked around them and stared
Beautiful works of art, by artist long forgotten over years,
I believe these are more beautiful than the famous here.
I saw the four rooms of Raphael's 1600's frescoes,
Beautifully painted when he was just twenty or so.
Of course, the Sistine Chapel was a must to see
With Michaelangelos painted fresco of Genesis, God creating.
You are not allowed to take photos, the guards said in haste,
But I held the camera up towards the ceiling at my waist.
Shot whatever came out and loved the fact to be a bit defiant.
Thinking that Michaelangelo was a bit of a tyrant.
The spiral staircase in the museum, leading up and down,
Was designed in 1932 by Momo, flowing in a helix surround.
A few blocks away, you walk to St. Petersburg square,
Entering the area, it is one of the largest plazas there.
Religious ceremonies and canonizations of the pope
All has happened here, so that Christians have hope.
The entrance are bronze door decorated with biblical reliefs
From 1439 to 1445 designed by Filarete.
St. Peter ws buried in 64 AD on a site within the room.
In 324 Constantinople constructed the basilica over his tomb.
Now stands the Papal Alter that reaches the dome.
Each pillar stands for a saint buried within Rome.
There is a statue of St. Peter that you must touch to be blessed,
Rub his feet and let God to the rest.
Over the centuries, the bronze is worn on his feet,
Again, I think of the millions of people that have come to his seat.
At the Alter, I saw many couples asking nuns to take their photo,
Then the asked me to take their picture before they go.
Many couples seemed to surround us
And before I knew it, I was the photo princess.
I joked to the nuns that we should charge.
One said, "That's a great idea, we will split the profits, no matter how large."
I introduced myself and the sisters to me,
They all had traveled from New Jersey.
They joked about how many living rooms
Their photos would consume.
We chatted for minutes, I guessed,
One said that she could tell that I was truly blessed.
For being so fortunate to have such a gift given to me
And to appreciate all that I have done and seen.
I thanked them and we all hugged,
Thinking to myself, there are no coincidence in life to be shrugged.
I walked around the chapel to see the works of art
In this magnificent basilica, with it's history parts.
Michaelangelo's Pieta was created in 1499,
Scuptured when he was 25 in his prime.
Many martyrs are buried here,
St. Catherine, St. Andrew as well as the body of Pope John XXIII still preserved.
I leave St. Peter's Basilica and glance at the plaza
Getting ready for Easter services and all the masses.
I glance to the right and their are the nuns,
Still getting photos until they are undone.
One sees me and motions for me to come over
Here's our photographer, Vittoria, we know her.
We chat some more and then it is time to leave
Wishing them all the best on their journey across the seas.
I am exhausted, so back to the hotel room,
Where I collapse and slept the next day until noon.