On the Capitol
Birds sing in larches dusty with emergent green,
rusty with cascading flowers, where centuries before
subservient feet bore the Emperor's litter high.
Children on tricycles
make figures-of-eight round columns
whose marble reflected Caesar's cries in death.
The cats of Rome, on soft-bellied crouch,
range the Colosseum waiting for Christians,
whose offerings of spared food
Tendered in female, feline hands,
they will accept on the ruined floor
each day at Vespers hour.
Out of the sight of the Capitol
the eroded City yields
to the Dome's encrusted hugeness,
weighting down the guarded dust
of the Holy Fisherman.
Titanic embodiments of papal affirmation,
reach for the distant Godhead
while thirty giants hold in tall embrace
the cobbled saucer of St.Peter's Square.
There shoals of pilgrims lap celestial peace
and, having lapped, return their separate selves
To a waiting, violent world.
Author notes
Written 1976 and revised on 22 March 2008
In a list
A contest entry
- Countries by unknownpleasure.
301 points, ended January 27, 2007, 34 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - # 63 A poem about Easter. You may write to the graphic. by Lyndon.
4500 points, ended April 9, 2008, 11 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 17 of 17
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Wow, this is a very vivid travel memoir - I presume it is talking about the Way of the Cross that takes place in the Colosseum each year, presided over by the Pope - something that I had hoped to go down for myself this year. Congratulations on your gold winning write!
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Hallo again. I'm afraid it is not talking about the Way of the Cross - that would not have interested me at all. The whole poem is simply my reaction to Rome as a historic city and its connection with today. I'm glad you like the poem, though. by the way, it's crystaldust not crystal. My real name is Joy
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This is amazing, I like your lateral view of the events centuries ago. It's realer than many poems on the same topic because of the imaginitive details you've included. Much respect!
Peace Georgia
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It is a contrasting piece that gently outlines hope. I did enjoy this very much, the new world with the old world and the continued faith.
A wonderful entry for this contest with excellent descriptions of Rome, faith, and hope.
Best of luck in the judging. Well done. ~Pamela
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I picked this one out from your lists deliberately, as I have always wanted to visit Rome......and now I want to go even more!!!!!
I love how you describe the scene as it was when you went there, and have also added in little flashbacks almost, of how it was centuries ago. I particularly enjoyed the part about children riding around pilars that once reflected Caesar's cries......wonderful!
The whole piece conjours up such amazing imagery, I can see both modern and ancient figures walking the streets as I read....I loved it, really did.
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I spent Easter of 2005 in Rome, and was in the Vatican the week following, to witness the last moments of the Pope. This poem captures the beauty and majesty well.
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this makes me think of the song"viva Roma", and it brings back memories . I grew up in Europe and had the chance to visit Rome probably about three or four times. Of course having been a child.......I then was smitten with Italian ice cream. But as an adult I have come to see the experience differently....sort of the way you describe it here. Best wishes in this contest,
reenie
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This is powerful and wonderful at the same time, your words give substance to the majesty of the city and your descriptors are fanstic. Good job.
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Hallo ecrivain01, and thank you for such a friendly, welcome comment. I'm glad you liked it enough to think you might like to go there. Of course, nearly forty years may have made a difference to some parts o it, though I expect the Vatican is much the same! I can't send you an applause from here, because this is at the bottom of my poem. But I will remember to send one as soon as I can. Cheers!
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good job
This is an excellent write. I have never been there, but I would love to see it, judging from what you've described.
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Hi, forgotten dream, and thank you for acknowledging my entry to your contest. Thank you too for your comments. I hope you'll have great fun judging the contest whether I get anywhere winning or not. Any chance you'll let me know what you think of Rome itself, after nearly 40 years? It can't be exactly the same, can it? And I'd love to know if you recognise any of the things I wrote about. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your visit there. I'm assuming you won't have time to reply to this before you go because your work will be cut out reading all those entries! I hope we'll talk after you get back.
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wow. this is a terrific write! excellent word choices here, that give this piece incredibly vivid imagery. i loved the descriptive words, the refreshing vocabulary - it really paints the scene well - this moment captured in your mind and expressed well in your words (so that others may see it as well). i am going to rome next month, and this really gets me excited to go and see
beautiful job here, i really enjoyed reading this. keep up the great work! thank you for entering, and best of luck in the contest <3
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Hallo there, Newo Ikkin, and thank you for reading this poem and for your comments on it. I'll try to send you an applaud but your comments came up above one of my poems and, usually if I put an appluad on the same sheet, they tell me I can't applaud my own work which I wasn't trying to do anyway. So shall save my applause until I've read one of your poems. I found Rome an amazing experience in many ways. not least because my husband managed to get into the Vatican Library and talk to the Librarian - on Good Friday too. We expected it to be shut, but it wasn't.Thank you again.
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Very Good!
Oooh it's good, indeed very vivid, and the title caught my attention instantly. Nice word usage as well.
-Rach -
I'm glad you dropped by my site, littlefairypoo, and liked this poem. Thank you for your comments. I guess you're a cat person.I don't think I've ever seen so many cats in one place before. There were dozens of them, most of them feral I expect
and there were several little old women had brought bags of food for them. Think I'll have a look at your site now. Cheers. -
like soft bellied crouch, very much, it is such a tactile poem
it is not difficult to imagine reaching out and touching the images with the palms of my hands. great! -
enchanting =)
i've yet to read an AP poem with similar content or even similar voice as this piece. it's quite lovely!
i don't have too terribly much to say about it, but i can certainly say "kudos to you"
-anastasia-
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