The Whim of Cleopatra,
O’ haughty queen whose eyes have seen with transport of delight
the deaths obscene of men who’ve been your lovers overnight.
Their agony you view with glee as poisons course their veins
with stiffening limbs to suit your whims and cruelly clouded brains.
You stuffed up Julius Caesar who had given you the shrug
when you turned up at his hotel room rolled in a Persian rug
but, when he hit the Ides of March and Brutus had him done
the only thing he left you was Caesarion, your son.
So you’d bed those prisoners on the night before their execution
and have them poisoned in the morn to watch their dissolution
but, when there were no prisoners left to share your company,
you decided you would set your sights on Marcus Antony.
Now Antony as a lover boy was not as good as Caesar
for he did not know quite where to go with a woman best to please her
but he brought you silk and asses milk and the finest Roman wine
and told you you looked beautiful so you got along just fine.
Then Julius’ successor, one Octavian by name,
thrashed Antony at Actium and spoiled your little game
for, when you heard he’d triumphed and Mark Antony had died,
you had a viper bite your boob, committing suicide.
Thus Nemesis did wait your fate when lost was Egypt’s might,
and you went to rest with envenomed breast from the asp’s avenging bite.
Hugh Wyles, July 9th. 2008.
(Oil on canvas by Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889)
“Cleopatra testing poisons on condemned prisoners” (1887).
Author notes
Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889) was a French painter of historical, classical and religious subjects. Also an eminent portrait painter, he was the preferred artist of Napoleon III. As an elected member of the Paris Salon jury, his refusal together with William Bouguereau to allow Edouard Manet and other impressionist painters to exhibit their works in the salon of 1863 lead to the formation of the Salon des Refuses.
Through his hundreds of pupils, Cabanel did more than any other artist of his generation to form the character of belle epoque French painting.
In a list
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 5 of 5
-
Ah sheer brilliance
Oh dear Hugh, This is excellent and such a pleasure to read.
-
A I see the result of a successful test being carted off in that painting...good for Cleo, I'm sure it was in the name of science.
That's a nice painting (Yem, giver of understatements.) though the subject is somewhat of a Shocking Tale Of Horror!
Supposedly this is how they first tested Moxie...the poisoned bodies lined the streets of Union, Maine...if that story isn't quite true, it should be.
Thanks you, there's little doubt I learn more about history and the arts from your poetry than from everyone elses put together.
Mariza's comment...she has a small coterie of worshipers on AP and OP so don't let her self-deprecating words fool you.
-
I always liked that story, Cleopatra was indeed some figure! Anthony the lover boy! Laughed out loud when reading that! Ah, I really like when you write about history and add humour to it. You do it in such a good way.
I do wonder why Cleo had those lovers at her feet; according to studies she wasn't of great beauty.
Me, even though I try to make myself to look pretty
men are not at my feet, even not close to be at my wrist
You gave me a morning laugh, thanks dad!
-
A woman's whim so forceful,
as detailed in your portrayal,
as to upset the plans of ruling men,
to avenge with mass betrayal.
Ah, the drama you build into your poem,
detailing the facts with the angst of the scene,
the painting enriching the historical events,
stirring visons of Claudette and Liz on screen.
Master Story Teller/Poet, you OWN this wonderful,
descriptive historic style of depiction!!!
M-C
-
Dear Hugh,
Being Queen has given Cleopatra the right to torture anyone she wants, even though they were going to die anyway, it would've been an agonizing death. Maybe they thought spending a night of debauching with her was worth it. A very interesting side to Cleopatra that I didn't know.
You are amazing my dear friend, any challenge you have been given you always meet brilliantly.
I hope one day Kevin has a site that you can link your poems to on Opera's, history and epics so more can see them and learn about our past.
Well written Hugh and worth all the research you have to read to create these masterpieces.
Love Bea
Adding your comment:
1 - 5 of 5
