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
