Thirty Lines — Rome Burning Tonight

1

Rome is Burning tonight,

more bright, with a voice of thunder,

the polis pushing and pulling the gate—

calls grow in dismay and wonder,

as power is flashing and focused,

“when the moment is right…”

2

When? It is right, already… See!

Each evening the airwaves fill with electrons

in this town—crier message so meaningless

as light from flames is flickering,

on people milling about more confused.

All know of weather, fire, storm of bullets.

3

Blame the sombrero or the hajab,

if not shaped or created by us, who then?

Score is simple in culture, meaning comes

and is grokked like art, what is and is not.

Likely our computers cannot help,

when we forget and can’t think alone.

4

Change comes with critical exams and elegance.

Perhaps, merely sitting in ever larger circles

exchanging ideas and kindness, culture

opening survival’s surface in all our minds.

How long to percolate through the synapse,

toward recognition? Need and solutions never!

5

Arriving with the sight of each working hard

empathy, charity, elusive hope — Time’s up.

Chapter almost finished in thunder and lightning.

I wish now to tell a new tale of how, we,

young and old, embraced all our brothers,

figured out how to roll up our sleeves.

J.T. April 8, 2016