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Romulus (3 of 3)

VII

Rape and murder have their hour,
   but it is best when they are ended;
best when they fold under Romulus like a cloak,
   smoothed to regalia and tame.

Ten curiae per tribum, ten gentes per curiam.
   A hundred-year truce binds the Etruscans of Veii.
Three thousand infantry to each legion.
   Three hundred horse in the guard.

The Aventine Hill, lost city of Remus,
   shrinks in its new-built wall.
The boys toss javelins in the forum.
   The Sabine women are happy at their looms.

VIII

   He has dressed in Scarlet with a purple-bordered Robe!
   He gives Audience on a Couch of State!
   There go before him others with Staves and leather Thongs,
      to bind on the moment whomever he commands!

   INSIGNIBVS VIRTVTIBVS EORVM DOMI FORISQVE S P Q R

   Romulus makes sacrifice at the temple of Vulcan
(man most religious, he has decreed lustrations,
      sacred fires)
   and the Senate of Rome murmurs at his back:
neither are the Patricians any longer admitted to State affairs
   only is the Name and Title left them
they convene in Council rather for Fashion’s sake than Advice
they hear in silence the King’s commands, and so depart
   he of his own accord has parted among his Soldiers
      what Lands were acquired by War
      and restored the Veientes their Hostages

   Midday of white stones at the hill?s foot.
   To appease the fire
      (let Rome not burn)
Romulus tosses live fish into the iron hearth. Then pivots in state,
   finds the Senate of Rome risen around him
      stares and knives

   He turned, they say, as in foreknowledge
      that the wind was to rise,
      and the sun to darken like blood.
   He laughed in their faces. Him it convened
      to be made a god.

   yea, it pleases the gods
         —not myself, the gods—
      that I be taken upward

IX

VIVET ROMVLVS

         in the unbodied air, the magnetic lines of earth
      each jot of force a kinglet

   the walls disperse but are not unmade
      new masons raise higher old marbles
   reshape blood and bone of Romulus

VIVET HONOS LATIVS SEMPERQVE VOCABITVR VNO
      NOMINE ROMANVM IMPERIVM

         the sky his skull, the sea his ichor
            in paths of birds his dark will
         all roads conduce to his core
            in pulsed harmony of milestones
         the wandering tribes his errant children
            of mundivorous mind

X

   IVPITER OMNIPOTENS
      victor’s laurels
   AVDACIBVS ANNVE COEPTIS
         our burden

      glory of Mary and the martyrs
         you owe to Romulus dome and altar
      flying cross of Andrew and George
         the arm of Romulus holds the scourge


   SAECLORVM NASCITVR ORDO
      Aeneas and his gunboats
         new Carthage, new Troy

      children of plains and temperate waters
         boots of Romulus keep your borders


               ANNVIT COEPTIS
      heaven’s broad hand
               ANNVIT COEPTIS
   and a curse on that poet
   whose words Romulus’ arm prolongs
               ANNVIT COEPTIS
   a curse on that poet
      who speaks but with mouth and tongue of Romulus

 

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