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(From Shadows and Ideals, 1890)
SHE stands most insolent in her gems and gold, | |
| Haughtily cold; | |
| Draining the cool Falernian’s amber foam: | |
| Her palace is the world and she its queen | |
| Entrancing the obscene | 5 |
| Libidinous patricians of old Rome. | |
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| The drunken nobles, gorged with regal feasts, | |
| Crouch like tame beasts | |
| Before her sandaled feet, and deck with flowers | |
| The glowing Paros of her perfect breast, | 10 |
| Pledging with feverish zest | |
| Her stately beauty through the riotous hours. | |
| |
| Effeminate Cæsars, with a Satyr leer, | |
| Sigh to her ear | |
| Their brutal whine and maddening desires; | 15 |
| No gleam of pleasure lingers in her glance | |
| Fixed on the wanton dance, | |
| Timed by the torment of a hundred lyres. | |
| |
| The boisterous laugh of Rome degenerate | |
| And passionate | 20 |
| Breaks thro’ the golden hall, but no rare smile | |
| The indolent coral of her lip illumes; | |
| She breathes the heady fumes, | |
| And, statuesque, stands placid in her guile. | |
| |
| Nude slaves drag hampers of rich food and spice, | 25 |
| Perfumes and ice, | |
| Unto the reeking, gold-crushed board in haste, | |
| With monster lampreys from Pompeii caught fresh, | |
| Fed upon human flesh, | |
| To tempt her morbid delicacy of taste. | 30 |
| |
| The Roman youths have vainly striven for weeks | |
| Unto her cheeks | |
| To bring the rose; and to her lips the strain | |
| Of joyous song, but all their wealth and power, | |
| Lavished within an hour, | 35 |
| Move not her proud, indifferent disdain. | |
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| Rome is not Rome! The pampered beauty seems | |
| To live in dreams, | |
| Shunning of late the gladiatorial fights, | |
| And the mad bacchanals she once adored | 40 |
| Fail, and have not restored | |
| Her shattered mien, nor tendered new delights. | |
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| They do not know how the proud beauty burns | |
| With love, and yearns | |
| For one fair, golden-headed galley slave, | 45 |
| Doomed by the Emperor on the coming day | |
| To be the tiger’s prey, | |
| And whom by prayer or plea she cannot save! | |
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