Caesar

‘You come to Rome to look for Rome …’

Lowell’s bright-eyed ghost of a line whispers.

The eternal city, dressed for winter,

serene and enigmatic soft greens, light

blues blurring the edges between myth and reality

as if drawn from one of Botticelli’s postcards,

opens herself up after the epiphany,  

in ways the casual tourist never imagines.  

Slimmed of her maddening crowds, the insatiable

throng of gelato slurping Fellinis,  

one’s free to wander the banks of the Tiber

in search of the empire’s ancient veins,

leaning into the winds to listen in hope

of hearing Caesar’s mournful question

echoing over the Aventine --

Et tu Brutus, et tu …

Ken e Bujold 

Reviews

[Lorry]

Rome, like many a beautiful city, is made less beautiful by the throng of tourists trying to imagine its days of pomp, while demanding a Mickey D's on every corner and complaining that its not them, but every other tourist ruining it for everyone.
Perhaps the remake of this will have Ronald Mcdonald and Mcburglar as the assassins! 😃

[carl]

was not familiar with Lowell's poem The Ruins of Time - so that was a plus - and made me cognizant of the fact I never traveled to Europe - one of my greatest regrets - enjoyed your work as always particularly in this piece the manner of your rhymes - carl

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Where did those leaders go? And Rome was not built in a day, but it seemed it was destroyed in one.
And now...is the eternal city, Washington D.C.? And have we a new Caesar? but one not quit so fair?
Sorry, I went a lot of places with this one...
j.

[Ken e Bujold]

its all topical J. and was back of my mind when writing. though really front of mind was Lowell's Rome in the 16th Century and my memories of the city.

[Davidgeo]

I like this, it's good writing... so don't take this the wrong way... I couldn't stop thinking about Russel Crowe and the Ridley Scott Gladiator movie the entire time I was reading this.

I probably totally missed the point of your poem but, I do enjoy that movie.

[Ken e Bujold]

HA! you just made my day, and it's barely begun. Finding Russell Crowe is as poignant a view as any other D. And perhaps, a whole lot more sensible than the poet's memory of wandering through Rome looking for Caesar

[Davidgeo]

I love to make people's day... thank you. I have been entertained.

[Kelly Scheppers]

Good seeing you on the boards again, Ken. Your writing always takes a departure from the conventional. Always most impressive!

[Vol]

Ken
Sometimes I think that with a shovel you could dig six feet down anywhere around the Mediterranean and uncover artifacts all the way through and still have a ways to go...
Vol

[Soren]

Beautifully worded this not only contains grea imagery but hidden under the surface a message that comes through in the last line. Very nicely done

[Chris Shaw]

Hello dear Ken. How well I travelled with your words. Not only to Rome and Caesar, but to art galleries and to school as well. Julius Caesar, studied at O level. I can still recite , friends, Roman, country men, all these years later. And that unforgettable

Et tu Brutus

That killer line. Thank you for the journey and the many emotions your poem evoked. Hope you are well.

Chris