From afar, her hair drapes her shoulders, over her chest.
Her shadows blend her in with the background.
Her hair, braided, twirls her crown with majesty.
Unseen, the snake rears its head towards her breast,
held up by her hand for venom.
Eyebrows thin, lips pale, her already dead eyes look saintly up to heaven,
ready to join in with the reaper’s embrace.
Her lover is dead, and soon she will be too.
Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator,
Queen of Egypt,
Of the Ptolemaic dynasty,
Mother of four,
Lover of Romans,
Of age 39,
Found dead by her own hand,
may she rest in power.
(Painting: "Cleopatra" by Jacopino del Conte)
No comments:
Post a Comment