The Roman Forum
I threw my sweatshirt over my left arm as if it were a toga
Turned off two cell phones before entering La Sala Grande to hear Billy Collins read
I worried still that they might call each other and have a conversation
like all of mine in
In dungaree left pocket
Right pocket
His poetry made me happy and I was happy to be able to tell him so after
Ten years before when we heard him at Harvard we thought that he was our secret
He said, yes, the secret is out
After the poems there were no questions, he guessed it was because of the large sacred paintings in
I thought that poems and paintings worked together to exalt, we did not want to break the spell
Sappho from the isle of
She called Billy simpatico
I had to say, so, you are a real lesbian.
Her daughter Chloe was there and she does not like poetry
Sappho explained Zeno’s Paradox to me about the arrows Billy saw not getting to Saint Sebastian
But they finally did, and the martyr bled.