Poetry About Emperor Augustus

Octavian enters Rome beneath a borrowed peace. New marble covers older brick and blood. Coins repeat the young emperors careful profile. Poets learn which victories should be sung. An age takes one mans name for its weather. Power builds monuments to edit memory.

Look again from the quieter edge. New marble covers older brick and blood. A smaller detail changes the whole scene. Poets learn which victories should be sung. Attention loosens the first easy answer. Power builds monuments to edit memory.

Octavian enters Rome beneath a borrowed peace. Hours pass, but the image does not leave. Coins repeat the young emperors careful profile. It returns us to ancient Rome, power, propaganda, peace, succession, monuments, and the shaping of public memory. An age takes one mans name for its weather. The day continues with a more attentive heart.