Cleopatra's Barge

36 line poem

The cobra in omniscient repose, the falcon in raptor flight,

The catharsis of the ancients, the last of kingdom's might,

Thus was Cleopatra, a coiled soul and spirit of prey,

Who knowing the Roman Hour eclipsing the Egyptian Day,

Sailed in splendor the River of Ages to defy the new civil age,

Her floating barge a symbol of Egypt regal and Egypt heritage.

No Western honor nor Latin salute graced that ship's pure bodice,

Egypt was assail and her queen was priestess, emblem, goddess,

Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom were gathered at once in holy shrine,

Ibis and Cat, Vulture and Sun, each and all were figured in that symbol ship's design,

The pyramid culture had apexed, and now was opposed to the Roman Column,

Culture clashing with culture, civilizations crossed, all in destiny solemn. 

Sunrise saw the beating breaths of that eclipse ships' river course,

Cleopatra stood in still silhouette, intent on fate with no remorse,

The oars of the barge dipped in the surging currents of the Nile,

Just as the sun rays of Ra stroked the river path and Ship of Exile,

Golden was the radiant raiment of the three, the queen, the barge and the Nile of Destiny,

But greater grace was the purpose of that gathered power, a defiance of time's mastery.

A hooded cobra gilt with hooded lids, reared from deck to cowled prow,

While Horus, crowned and ivory, crowned the mast in eternal raptors vow,

The bow of the barge had no trailed guardian to ward the preying past,

The three ibis there were wingspread in tapestry direction with snake and mast,

Cleopatra, as her barge, was ornate in gem and intricate symbol power,

All of Egypt past and Egypt passion were there in transcendent flower. 

It was the Arch of Time itself against which Cleopatra sailed,

For if Roman Phalanx crumpled and Egypt theism prevailed,

Then man's spirit on Earth would continue captive to god worship,

Rather than triumvirates, republics, societies and self ship,

Time was stayed, the Future tottered, as Rome stabbed Cesar for open mind,

And golden bare Antony, seduced, lay secreted in the barge's inner shrine. 

But leaderless Rome, yoked to the bid of time, change, and history's march,

Was Legion, and Time in triumph over Faith spanned in even higher arch,

Cleopatra and Antony failed and felled turned to asp and blade,

And Egypt, dust,  blew in the sand, and the god monuments decayed.

Yet more than any, Cleopatra had pierced Time for in that Nile's Mouth descent,

She had bore the Egypt culture so dedicated to the Gods there was no ascent. 

Raymond Lee Collins

August 17, 1991

Swallow Camp

copyright reserved by the publisher

Carol A Wells