Thursday, March 13, 2014

Who Would Have Thought!

                                                                                       Attribution: Marie Lan Nguyen
Image:   Julius Caesar at the Louvre (here)
                                                               
Who would have thought!
Caesar had reached the English
Channel and crossed the Rhine
The first Roman General to do so

Who would have thought!
He fell out with Pompey who was
Earlier aligned to him against the Senate

Who would have thought!
Upon the end of the Gallic wars
Caesar would return triumphant
And entered Roman territory
Under arms against the Senate’s
Wishes and it led to civil war
And he emerged victorious

Who would have thought!
He noticed the likes of Cassius
With his lean and hungry looks
And  had voiced his suspicions
But had not taken seriously the
soothsayer's premonition
who forewarned him of the
dangers of the Ides of March

Who would have thought!
The vicious daggers that plunged
Upon his body and upon turning 
Around with guarded shock 
To exclaim ‘Et tu Brute? ‘

Who would have thought!
In 2 day's time the anniversary
of his assassination in 44 BC

Written for Susan's hosting at Poets United's :
Mid-week Motif  : Prescience/Foresight

16 comments:

  1. Another prologue to a life, to a play, to a date! Nicely done, Hank. And this man was warned three times! It was a tragedy, surely, for greatness to lie in a pool of blood--but maybe the play also says that no one can escape his fate? I taught this play over and over in high school learning to like it more and more--but I'm afraid that enjoyment never quite transferred to the students who often studied me instead.

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    1. Very interesting Susan. In Hank's case I was at the opposite end of being the student who was fascinated right through to seeing Mark Antony and Cleopatra (especially with the beautiful Liz Taylor strutting in the movie!) Yes,it was fun then, many years ago! Thanks for the memories Ma'am!

      Hank

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  2. No we don't always think, this will happen, or that...still without our thoughts, it happens anyway.

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  3. Can have it all and lose it just like that, those thoughts never come to pass in some and then they find themselves out on their bum, or dead

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  4. accomplishing so much fate still catches up to us...we def have to take head of those warnings in life...or we too will fall prey to our carelessness.....

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  5. I suppose nothing is certain until we look back at it?

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  6. I bet he didn't think he thought he would be a poetry subject on a blog.
    Great poem Hank.
    Yvonne.

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  7. He took such pains to write of his exploits and political intriques...I wonder which of his achievements he thought would be the greatest legacy. Nice job.

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  8. Oh, a tale so well told, Hank. Yes, we did write about the same topic, all unknowing. Smiles.

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  9. Politics change yet remain the same. Very well done.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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  10. and had he listened what would have changed?
    Well done Hank

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  11. that was a nice choice to focus on caesar Hank...very well done..

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  12. i think i have to re-read his story...but def. it's wise to listen to the warnings..

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  13. I just reread the play recently and this beautifully captures Caesar's life and the need of foresight.

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  14. This is very interesting. Thanks for sharing this!

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