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No part of this poetry should be reproduced in any form without written consent from the author, Joe DiMino, who retains all rights: contact poet@light-cards.com

"And The Poets Fiddled While Rome Burned" (by Joe DiMino)

Caesar said, It's the new deal:
Truth no longer truth,
But how you feel;
Justice is no longer justice,
Trust us-
Prosperity the toss
Of loaded State-dice--
Agree with us
And we'll treat you nice--

More money for the arts--

And the poets fiddled
While Rome burned…

"Entitlement" a sacred word:
You are born
Therefore entitled;
You see
Therefore we take;
What is theirs should also
Be yours--
Subsidy your rake
Drawn by the state
Redistributing wealth
(But none for their sake)--
Stick their ethics
And hard work;
We give you more for tears
Than the toil
Of years--
And the poets fiddled
While Rome burned…

They got ahead only by luck-
So tell them
To suck-it-up;
Going to be our way
Anyway--
We're in power,
So it's what we say;

And the poets fiddled
While Rome burned;

But in time the poets
Where told how to play--
Where and when
And what to say--

They spoke-out too late--

Fiddles were broken--

The State had spoken--

No one allowed to stray--
"ENTITLED" to weeping
But no mourning sashes (judged to wasted material by the state)-
Beloved Rome
In ashes…






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