Rome Burning | Teen Ink

Rome Burning

September 2, 2018
By BerneseLaxer99 SILVER, Goshen, New York
BerneseLaxer99 SILVER, Goshen, New York
6 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. It is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."<br /> -Winston Churchill


the

memory is

'as

           fleeting

as

             a

bird

as elusive 

as                     a

stray dog

         the

memory

strikes

                during

simple times

anything 

can                     trigger

it the 

             memory of

running

of being so

    scared

for my dad             my

mom

praying

shutting the

windows                    so the

smoke            can't

       come

in from across

the river

the     river

 

I used

to hate

provides   a 

barrier

               from

a burning

empire

                  from

Rome falling

my dad

                  coming

home

dust-streaked

crying.

my dad 

never cries,

                 but

he cried that

day

as Rome burned

we had no

power, the

day 

the  two brothers

              fell

torn apart

by 

blind hatred.

The 

day Rome

fell

taking

so            many

     lives

with it,

into the 

abyss

the day

Rome burned.


The author's comments:

In case you couldn't tell, this poem was inspired by the attcks of 9/11. This poem is true. My dad was an NYPD officer, and thankfully, at the end of the day, I had my dad back. I was lucky, in this case.

Many of my friends never saw their parents again.


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This article has 2 comments.


Caro GOLD said...
on Jan. 30 2019 at 11:14 am
Caro GOLD, Wolcottville, Indiana
11 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"Find what you love and let it kill you." -Charles Bukowski

I love everything about this! There is so much power and emotion driving. The metaphors are amazing!

on Oct. 18 2018 at 2:08 pm
Bruvton DIAMOND, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
55 articles 2 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;They don&#039;t think it is what it does, but it do.&quot; ~Oscar Gamble

This is awesome! I love the formatting, it really makes the poem stand out. I love the emotions conveyed through descriptions, too.