Once I had a friend visiting me in Montréal and she said:
There’s a cross on that hill! And in unison we all said:
It’s not a hill, it’s a mountain!! Our mountain is a good landmark.
If you’re downtown, the mountain is north, see what I mean?
In Rome, San Pietro works the same way. If someone asked me:
Where do you live? I’d say: Head toward San Pietro and turn right.
Years ago they added coloured lights to the cross on Mount Royal,
so that when the Pope died, we’d all know it. When I lived in Rome,
I thought: Please don’t let the Pope die while I’m here.
My apartment was right behind the Vatican, very close to his.
During the April Fools’ Day comedy special on the radio,
they kept us up to date on the failing health of the Pope.
Then he died during a literary festival, during a rainstorm.
CNN was on in the hotel lobby, but I have yet to see
if the lights have changed on the cross on the mountain.
. . . . .