Border patrol checkpoint 
empty again 
made our passports&nbsp;&nbsp;obsolete
nothing 
 to declare anyway
lush greenery 
 barely changes 
from country to country
overcast skies
 precariously straddle
nations 
ancient vineyards 
still yield 
magnificent drops 
castles crumble
a little more everyday
not even the towering pines 
can save them 
moody melodies strum
around my head&nbsp;&nbsp;
forever framing 
this summer’s trip 
just a little
 differently 
than the years 
before.