Updated from a poem I originally wrote in August 2020.
They say that Rome is thriving,
That the frontiers are expanding,
That denarii go up daily,
That the colosseum is full,
That the rebels in Judea,
Had their temple duly razed. That’s why
We are going to worship the emperor today.
I have a new business to start this week,
My wife has a pain in her heel,
My son’s wagon needs a new wheel,
My daughter’s got an aching tooth,
Our horse is limping on one hoof.
With all this and more weighing us down,
We are going to worship the emperor today.
The ox tripped and broke a horn—
A cart full of grapes in the ditch.
The rains didn’t come through this year—
Wheat dried up without much to share.
The rabbits ate half my turnips,
And the foxes aren’t too hungry, so
We are going to worship the emperor today.
Incense doesn’t cost all that much,
And it smells pretty good most days,
But I’m beginning to wonder
How much good it does anyway.
The emperor’s not too stable,
Or, well, the old gods seemed nicer, but
We are going to worship the emperor today.
The fire was a long time back,
And Nero’s died in the meantime.
Old Vespy keeps his fiddle tuned,
So as to dull the people’s cry.
My friend got crucified Tuesday,
But as for me and my house, you see,
We are going to worship the emperor today.
So good.