The Pub

Rome

Rome,
casually felled in an afternoon,
pages 78-323,
Jewel of the West,
original toga party –
(Well, boys, we had a good run?)
& all the girls with their shiny gems & silky hems &
flowers in their hair...
regret-me-nots
[a slip?]
– no, thank you; not necessary, thank you; things are quite opaque, thank you;
Pass the last of the wine
(if you’d be so kind)
all [Good.] things must end
I say, The city is burning!  You say,
for-king-and-country /or/ could-be-worse /or
/ Hell / & a shrug
(Or, you may go down in blood-and-flames, of course
– if so compelled.)
Odoacer? they say. You must be joking.
(Another cigar?)
Don’t worry.
Friend – Noble? – Countryman – [No, that’s not right...]
They’ll all write things about us.
Brother – [No.]
This, sweetheart,
(over last of Roman wine,)
will look better on paper.
will all be over soon.
will [if it’s cool with the gods] put us in purgatory around 6:30 EST.

Amanda Miller is a Senior Theasethicism major (an IDS invention: philosophy + theatre) from West Point, NE. Her important 1994 research in the field of magnetics earned her the prestigious First Prize at her 2^nd grade science fair.