Golden Guys

“sneer of cold command”

Young Alexander conquers most of known

Harsh kingdoms, harshly.  Now we ask, “So what?”

So what if his brutality has grown

A realm that Ozymandias could not

Have dreamed of?  Each one was a clot of vile

And vicious violence of ancient times.

Think.  Why should we remember them?  Why rile

Respect for brute barbarians, their crimes?

This Alexander drags a living man

Behind the royal chariot and kills

Him thus.  It’s hard to think how someone can

Be cruel like that, to give himself such thrills.

  Now Putin, Xi and Trump are just as cold

    And MAGA thinks, “24-carat gold!”

©  Phillip Whidden