Not Shakespeare's heroine
and not Fellini's
Giulietta but my only
Juliette of the Spirits
such a joy to know
her joie de vivre
her bubbling humor
fine musicianship
an accomplished cellist
who'd taken up
bass viol or better
viola da gamba
her seven string bass
was made by Sato-san
an instrument
worthy in every way
of Bach's gamba sonatas
but for her
the color was too red
and so we traded
and I came out the winner
or so I thought
it's been years now
since I last saw her
visiting her Mendocino cottage
on Albion Ridge Road
between roads f and g
so hers of course
she had to name g flat
she had laid out
a tray of tiny glasses
that she'd filled
with a variety of home-
made liqueurs
one of them I remember
was walnut and both
sweet and slightly bitter
a year later we spoke
for the last time
she told me she had cancer
and was dying
but was fine
had no regrets
had lived the life
she'd wanted
now I'm left
with memories
regretting only
that I hadn't spent
more time with her
the gamba mostly sits
inside its case
I tried to sell it once
but wasn't able
to let go of what still
seemed to connect me
with that lively and loving spirit