Italy+Poem

Intervention in Italy

“Look at yourself,” they say as we sit in the piazza, The ocean breeze of Taormina whipping through me, All 180 pounds of me.

“We’re only doing this because we love you,” As they snatch the hot fresh-from-the-oven slice of pizza--the gooey tomatoes, warm dough, stringy cheese… All blending perfectly in my mouth, dancing on my tongue. So I snatch up my chocolate and almond gelato in defiance. This gelateria love affair consists of at least two scoops, two times a day And you can’t extinguish a flame that burns //that// strongly.

“You’ve let yourself go.” But who could resist this? The wine, the endless pasta, the decadent pastries… All amid the breathtaking beauty of the coastline. The jagged rocks protrude into the abyss of the ocean, And perched on their plateau lie the cities, Houses strewn snugly together on the cliff Struggling to hold on for dear life. No one could peel me away from this paradise, This place where pleasure comes first, work next, Where ancient tradition can withstand the tides of change. And I am free to roam amid the sanctuary of the bustling streets.

“I dare you to look a plateful of steaming spaghetti in the face, And not take a bite of it.” I smile slyly as I sit back in my chair, sipping from my glass of red wine. The sounds of street performers’ violins flitting through the air fill the silence. Their eyes bore into my flesh, they are judging me. And in the distance, I hear a jubilant waiter say to his diners, “Buon Appetito!”

What I need help editing is the highlighted part, I'm not sure if it fits in. And also, does the transition between talking about food and then talking about what Italy actually looks like flow smoothly? Does the ending flow smoothly?