Cleopatra
Is a carpet a fitting mantle
For a queen? You wear it with bravura.
No doubt you giggled as your slaves
Rolled you up. Such fun, such daring!
Your counsellors were aghast. Their eyes
Cast down when you commanded.
Mumbling unheard under their breaths,
They dare not defy a pharaoh’s daughter.
Roman generals meet your gaze
Unashamedly assess your stance,
Your breasts, your hips, your lovely face.
They speak their mind, but with respect.
You rule rich lands, ancient lands.
Your line goes back to Alexander.
You speak in riddles, keep them guessing,
Play gambits to gain the upper hand.
And so you are carried head high.
But as your future’s unfurled, you’re
Flung at the feet of the mighty
And tossed into destiny’s fangs.
Xi Shi Strolls in the Evening Garden
In the jasmine’s heady scent her beauty glows
The water lilies close their petals in homage
The koi stop swimming and fade away in awe
The night jar falls silently from the sky
And the jealous moon draws clouds across her face.
Wang Zhoujun’s Song
The mournful wind echoes
The plaintive melody
She plays upon her lute.
Was it pride or honesty
That she should turn him down?
The painter’s brush can lie.
The poet’s pen beguiles.
But her truthful lute
Does not dissemble.
