📍Bova, Calabria — Late Afternoon

I wander through the ancient hilltop town of Bova,
where Greek echoes drift through the air.

Cracked walls crumble beneath a veil of dust.
A faint breeze rises from the valley, laced with the scent of wild thyme.

A rusted balcony hangs over a narrow lane,
its iron softly creaking in the wind.

Behind the bars, a pale-furred cat sits unmoving,
its gaze fixed on me—calm, piercing, unyielding.

The silence deepens.
For a moment, I feel weighed and measured,
as if the town itself is deciding whether I belong.