Five Roman Forum Poems




Five Roman Forum Poems


One, Getting Lost

The first taxi driver got lost
He knew how to navigate
Using Google
Google knows where the
Roman Forum is
NOT Where the entrance is
We hailed a second cab




Two, Our Tour Guide’s Foot

Our tour guide was on crutches
Making the tour pace
Deliberate and detailed
She took her time
Old stones are not in a hurry
The path bumpy
Our daughter with an injured foot





Three, Partial Temples

The Basilica of Amelia is
little more than bits
of conglomerate columns
lined into rows
Each a crumbling
fruitcake on a stone plinth
One stone a fruitcake in turtle form




Four, Visual Comparison

Lining fallen stones that had
once been capitals into rows
Takes me back to the
Standing Stones at Carnac
There is no relationship
Only coincidence of order
Carnac held not a roof but the sky




Five, Locked Door

The Temple of Romulus
remains intact copper doors
Green with age
a modern baked enamel sign
states that “the lock still works”,
meaning to the front doors.


Who has the key?



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