Grandeur. Elegance. Vanity.
He strutted through streets reveling
in his glory and majesty.

Hail,
he was lauded.
“Cassius,”
his name whispered through crowds.
What an honor it was
to cross paths with he.

The luster of pursuit.
Yet his eyes were
caught up in another
behind his Lady’s back.

Streets cleared before him.
Tails of jewels,
perfumes, and roses following
closely behind him,
on bent servants’ backs.

Riches
he held. Fame
he knew. Beauty
he owned. Power
he supposed greater even than the king’s.
Cassius had everything.

Even the greatest cannot
pay the poor enough to die in his stead.
A thoughtless mother
to name her son the name that
meant nothing.
But surely,  his legacy would
live on in the world.
Certainly
it could not go on without him.

Surrounded by the throng,
his money filling their purses.
Empty, now, were their hearts.
His soul spiraling,
leaving his earthly world.
Cassius, with his honor and prestige,
was gone away
forever.

The bustling crowds remained.
The stars shone on.
Children's games continued.
The sun pressed on in its descent.
And the world forgot his name.