Friday, September 24, 2010

Savonarola II

"Your city is now the city of God."
-Girolamo Savonarola

What do you expect a man to say
when he wants nothing
but your salvation? It wasn't
the threat of damnation
that got to us––we could tell
the time of day by his shadow
in the cathedral––it was the boys,
fanciulli, who went door to door,
asking us but what if he's on
to something?
People have always
had a problem with the scrutiny
afforded by mirrors. It seemed
natural, that our reflections be
made enemies of ourselves.
You can't imagine how the palaces
shone in that dingy light,
the teeth of crenellations gnawing
at the city they overshadowed.
The proud, he said, fall
prey to themselves, and that was all
we needed to know about justice.

4 comments:

Tumblewords: said...

Thoughtfully written. Some fine image-full lines...People have always had/ a problem with the scrutiny /afforded by mirrors. Nice work.

Anonymous said...

Fascinating subject. I'm off to Google him, though shreds of memory are nagging at me. I love your line about the proud falling prey to themselves.

Wayne Pitchko said...

nicely done Nathan.....thanks for this

Anonymous said...

really like this Nathan. Like the boys asking, "What if he's right?" and the proud falling prey to themselves. But then, I'm a sucker for history.

Elizabeth