Tired, Isolated Romans

[A poem written many years ago, more relevant every year]

Tired, Isolated Romans

 

They fell, finally, those old Romans,

Surrounded by hostile foreigners who were

Prodded by envy and long memories and

Appetite and contemptuous hatred of

What these people had become.

 

Even their enemies remembered

When these Romans, as the old Republic,

Had been respected as well as feared; had brought

Law as well as order; had spread new possibilities

As well as never-ending disruption.

 

The simple republican virtues, forgotten

Or dismissed as myths of a simpler time,

Had left those Romans free within the law,

Tending their small farms and businesses,

Supporting small armies with small taxes.

 

Time and empire produced only order without law,

A system perfected beyond hope of change,

A few men owning everything and everyone.

What was to the benefit of few found few to defend it,

And only fools, at last, to die for it.

 

Of course, no possible analogy implied.

 

 

5 thoughts on “Tired, Isolated Romans

  1. Hmm-maybe they were hated and envied. It seems the nation of usa feels the “world” hates and envies them. From my perspective there is nothing to envy and the hate is mainly growing in places us happens to bomb. Victimized by ones’ own behaviour.

  2. Frank, that was really very good, right on the mark both for the Romans and for our times. How sad that we today here in the US are simply repeating that old cycle. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I’d be a personal witness to such a decline, and viewable in real time! The flip side of watching all this over the years is that it’s impressed on me the importance and urgency of strengthening our ties with the ‘other’ side of Life. Thanks for all your help in that!

    1. I on the other hand saw it coming 40 years ago, and nothing that has happened since has persuaded me otherwise, unfortunately. Still, there could be a miracle — but it would have to BE a miracle.

      1. Frank, it IS very challenging thoughts all of it by no doubt.

        As I am very much into the Seth Conference at the time being, and therefore some of the sentences by Seth came to mind and quote: “We are experiencing multiple probabilities at the same time.”
        Hard to grasp really if not to realize us as “multidimensional” beings as a fact right here and now. And our intense emotions and thoughts becoming “Objects” in the physical world.
        F.inst. I have done nothing else other than to complain about no snow this winter (this year about), and today it is snowing as much as cannot go outdoors without the skiing. Be aware of your intense desires & thoughts, as sooner or later they will come about ?
        Hm, I`m glad to have a cosy homestead.
        LOL, Inger Lise

        Smiling, Inger Lise.

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