A Colossus stretches and smiles
as the fire in Rome spits and peters dimly
a horde of barbarians cower in hidden lights
scribbling incantations to a hidden deity smite in disgrace
all can now see the fallibility of the uncouth couchers webs of deceits
as the jokers become the joke and vainglorious platitudes cough out
in the talking chambers the words are drying up save the heartiest
too ill to see that they are below decks manning the oars to the beat
the beat of the beaten who row as their fathers and fore-fathers did
a colossus stretches and smile and knows Olympus awaits in a far land