Freedom

We went to Ai Tre Scalini,
Via Panisperna, but ended up
across the street in Barzilai,
I looked at him as he ordered wine.
Monti in ancient Rome was the suburra,
a red-light district. Julius Caesar
spent his childhood here. I wondered
if he knew that. I looked at his lips,
felt the Colosseum close by, thought of
the gladiators, often slaves, criminals,
prisoners of war. Some were able
to fight for their freedom. I wondered
if he knew anything about
how to be free in this world, if he knew
the ones who won the war were tired,
the ones who hung their brothers were tired,
the ones who loved too much were tired,
those who feared or hoped too much
were also tired. Death was tired.
Tomorrow too. The city could come apart.
We should remember everything
to find freedom, or do our memories
cost us our heaven?
He placed a kiss on my lips,
said, I might fall. I wondered
if he feared its freedom.