"Saint Peter and Simon Magus" by Benozzo Gozzoli ‘Nero Before the Tomb of Simon Magus’ by Shaun C. Duncan The Society November 21, 2022 Blank Verse, Culture, Poetry 21 Comments . Nero Before the Tomb of Simon Magus And Peter, looking steadfastly against Simon, said: “I adjure you, ye angels of Satan, who are carrying him into the air, to deceive the hearts of the unbelievers, by the God that created all things, and by Jesus Christ, whom on the third day He raised from the dead, no longer from this hour to keep him up, but to let him go.” And immediately, being let go, he fell into a place called Sacra Via, that is, Holy Way, and was divided into four parts, having perished by an evil fate. Then Nero ordered Peter and Paul to be put in irons, and the body of Simon to be carefully kept three days, thinking that he would rise on the third day. —Acts of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul I. Three days she’s laid there, clawing at the dust Outside his tomb. Insane with grief or else Bewitched, she spits out bitter prophecies And bares her teeth at those who stray too close. They say this ragged whore seduced a god —Indeed, the Holy God Himself, some say— A god who fell to earth, a god who died And lies at rest inside this borrowed tomb. And now, she claims he’ll raise himself from death, Re-join those shattered bones and crown himself Caesar of all creation, now and ever. . II. Caesar of all creation—how absurd! What fraud or fool would dare claim such while I Draw breath and worship none but my own Will? What god or man could lust as Nero lusts: As one who’d banquet on the flesh of gods And quaff the blood of Persian emperors, Who would defile the source of all creation And take the universe for his own whore? Compared to one who could but close his eyes And kill the world, can any claim to live? None are but I; the rest exist to serve. . III. Fear not the stinking corpse behind the stone— Let him play Caesar to the hungry worms! And may his harlot curse her careless faith When she is given to my goatish guards— They’ll soon despoil her of those modest charms. And what of that dour, rustic sorcerer Who claims to wield no power of his own Yet uttered but a word and broke the spell? The crowd might like to see him torn to pieces By starving beasts, or better—crucified; Everyone loves the cross these days, it seems. . IV. But neither blood nor terror slake my thirst As they once did; they only seem to feed That dread of varlet night and fresh damnation In dreams of desperate flight down vagrant streets, Pursued by grinning men with gleaming knives Whose choking laughter turns to mother’s sobbing. Then, as the first blade strikes, a new sun rises And all the horrors of the night demand Revenge upon the innocence of day. Some say the grave brings peace from fear and lust But if we’re doomed to dream in death, what then? . V. What if our yearnings hint at something higher: A final resting place, but not in death— No, not in death, but in the fundament Of life itself, eternal and divine; A love unspoiled, which hides behind creation Yet sets its highest shrine inside each heart? And if it would some day reveal itself, To show to us that we are loved in kind, Then it could only come to us as man And should we spurn this love then surely we Are damned to die forever and a day— . VI. Ah, but look now: she rises as they roll Away the stone and steps up to the threshold. She cries her Lord’s sweet name: “Dear Simon—come!” And strains to see into the black beyond, Anticipating his most tender kiss. There is no answer, just the mournful stench Of his corruption on the stale, warm air. A thousand whining flies emerge and whirl In maddening circles but, like foolish thoughts, They quickly scatter as their awful hum Is swallowed by her bright, exquisite scream. . . Shaun C. Duncan is a picture framer and fine art printer who lives in Adelaide, South Australia. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 21 Responses ben grinberg November 21, 2022 Reading this poem felt like being in the time and space. Reply Shaun C. Duncan November 21, 2022 Thank you, Ben. I know it’s an unpleasant place but I hope you enjoyed your brief stay there! Reply Joseph S. Salemi November 21, 2022 This is truly a fictive artifact in every sense. It is an impersonal dramatic-monologue narrative based on history, it carefully constructs itself with imagined details, it uses an elevated register of language, the speaker reveals both his personality and his moral character, and its imagery is striking (and very shocking), especially in section VI. This is the polar opposite of warm, cutesy-poo, let’s-all-feel-good poetry. Reply Shaun C. Duncan November 21, 2022 I struggled with this one and for a while lost all perspective on the piece. I had no idea how it would be received but you’ve kindly reassured me that I managed to achieve what I originally set out to do. Thank you. Reply Yael November 21, 2022 What a great way to tell a story, I really enjoyed reading this poem, thank you! Reply ben grinberg November 21, 2022 agree Reply Shaun C. Duncan November 21, 2022 Thank you, Yael. I’m glad you enjoyed it! Reply Mary Gardner November 21, 2022 Shaun, blank verse is a superb choice for this vivid narrative, and probably the only form that could fully convey its dread. Oh, the horror of the final stanza! You are a master. Reply Shaun C. Duncan November 21, 2022 Thank you for the kind words, Mary. Blank verse was the only choice for me – as you point out, rhyme would only undercut the horror. I’m glad to hear the final stanza had the impact I was striving for. Reply Margaret Coats November 22, 2022 Unremittingly ugly, Shaun. Appropriate for the speaker, and very difficult to do. Such a filthy scene works by contrast with exalted persons and events far in the background. Hints of them appear just enough to suggest blasphemy (again, a crime the speaker would be pleased to commit). When the exalted truth occurs to him in stanza V, you have him say “fundament” to befoul his statement of it, before he is again distracted by present putrescence. Disgustingly done! Reply Shaun C. Duncan November 22, 2022 Thank you, Margaret. I found it challenging to write and the final product is edited down from a first draft that was twice as long. I originally attempted to have Nero rationalise his way to the revelation in stanza 5 but his voice quickly grew monotonous and the piece started to lose that sense of ironic contrast between the ravings of the antichrist and the truth we know is waiting just outside of his view. Realising that the poem is about the offering and rejection of grace rather than a philosophical monologue allowed me to tighten things up. Reply Jeremiah Johnson November 23, 2022 Hi Shaun, I liked “goatish guards” – that’s inspiration! Also, the end of stanza IV reminded me of Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy. Anytime you can channel Shakespeare that’s a plus! Reply Shaun C. Duncan November 23, 2022 Thank you, Jeremiah. I’m glad you liked the phrase “goatish guards” – it was a late addition and I was pleased with it! Reply Mia November 23, 2022 I did not enjoy this story but of course that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great poem. The following two lines alone speak volumes as to the nature of evil, ‘Who would defile the source of all creation and take the universe for its own whore’ and they seem apt as to what is happening in the world at the present time. In fact I cannot think of a better description for rapacious greed and arrogance.Thank you, even though I didn’t enjoy it , it really has made me think. Reply Shaun C. Duncan November 23, 2022 Thank you for taking the time to read it, Mia. I very much wanted Nero to give voice to the evil which surrounds us today and also our tendency to reject things we intuitively know to be true because they appear to be contradicted by our senses. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant November 23, 2022 Shaun, this is powerful, beautifully written, impactful poetry that transforms words into images that shimmer before the eyes in all their horrific splendor. Reply Shaun C. Duncan November 23, 2022 Thank you so much, Susan – I found it difficult to write and such a generous comment means a lot to me. Reply Monika Cooper November 24, 2022 Ironic juxtaposition running through this, the similarities and contrasts with the delusion of the theme and the glorious Resurrection of the real King of creation. He too had His chief mourners; I think especially of St. Mary Magdalen. The line “Everyone loves the cross these days, it seems” brings it to an especially fine point, with the cult of the Cross secretly, inexorably, rising at this time in history. And the “bright, exquisite scream” at the end, as the delusion shatters in climactic anti-climax. Really amazing. Reply Shaun C. Duncan November 24, 2022 Thank you, Monika. I’d hoped that irony would come through without having to labour the point too much. “Everyone loves the cross” seemed like a bit of an indulgence at first, but I like the idea that Nero has no idea of the crucial role the persecutions he inaugurated will have in spreading the faith. Reply Monika Cooper December 1, 2022 I hope you send the poem to this year’s SCP International Poetry Competition! C.B. Anderson November 26, 2022 This poem is so good I can barely follow it. What have you been drinking? What have you been thinking? Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Shaun C. Duncan November 21, 2022 Thank you, Ben. I know it’s an unpleasant place but I hope you enjoyed your brief stay there! Reply
Joseph S. Salemi November 21, 2022 This is truly a fictive artifact in every sense. It is an impersonal dramatic-monologue narrative based on history, it carefully constructs itself with imagined details, it uses an elevated register of language, the speaker reveals both his personality and his moral character, and its imagery is striking (and very shocking), especially in section VI. This is the polar opposite of warm, cutesy-poo, let’s-all-feel-good poetry. Reply
Shaun C. Duncan November 21, 2022 I struggled with this one and for a while lost all perspective on the piece. I had no idea how it would be received but you’ve kindly reassured me that I managed to achieve what I originally set out to do. Thank you. Reply
Yael November 21, 2022 What a great way to tell a story, I really enjoyed reading this poem, thank you! Reply
Mary Gardner November 21, 2022 Shaun, blank verse is a superb choice for this vivid narrative, and probably the only form that could fully convey its dread. Oh, the horror of the final stanza! You are a master. Reply
Shaun C. Duncan November 21, 2022 Thank you for the kind words, Mary. Blank verse was the only choice for me – as you point out, rhyme would only undercut the horror. I’m glad to hear the final stanza had the impact I was striving for. Reply
Margaret Coats November 22, 2022 Unremittingly ugly, Shaun. Appropriate for the speaker, and very difficult to do. Such a filthy scene works by contrast with exalted persons and events far in the background. Hints of them appear just enough to suggest blasphemy (again, a crime the speaker would be pleased to commit). When the exalted truth occurs to him in stanza V, you have him say “fundament” to befoul his statement of it, before he is again distracted by present putrescence. Disgustingly done! Reply
Shaun C. Duncan November 22, 2022 Thank you, Margaret. I found it challenging to write and the final product is edited down from a first draft that was twice as long. I originally attempted to have Nero rationalise his way to the revelation in stanza 5 but his voice quickly grew monotonous and the piece started to lose that sense of ironic contrast between the ravings of the antichrist and the truth we know is waiting just outside of his view. Realising that the poem is about the offering and rejection of grace rather than a philosophical monologue allowed me to tighten things up. Reply
Jeremiah Johnson November 23, 2022 Hi Shaun, I liked “goatish guards” – that’s inspiration! Also, the end of stanza IV reminded me of Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy. Anytime you can channel Shakespeare that’s a plus! Reply
Shaun C. Duncan November 23, 2022 Thank you, Jeremiah. I’m glad you liked the phrase “goatish guards” – it was a late addition and I was pleased with it! Reply
Mia November 23, 2022 I did not enjoy this story but of course that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great poem. The following two lines alone speak volumes as to the nature of evil, ‘Who would defile the source of all creation and take the universe for its own whore’ and they seem apt as to what is happening in the world at the present time. In fact I cannot think of a better description for rapacious greed and arrogance.Thank you, even though I didn’t enjoy it , it really has made me think. Reply
Shaun C. Duncan November 23, 2022 Thank you for taking the time to read it, Mia. I very much wanted Nero to give voice to the evil which surrounds us today and also our tendency to reject things we intuitively know to be true because they appear to be contradicted by our senses. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant November 23, 2022 Shaun, this is powerful, beautifully written, impactful poetry that transforms words into images that shimmer before the eyes in all their horrific splendor. Reply
Shaun C. Duncan November 23, 2022 Thank you so much, Susan – I found it difficult to write and such a generous comment means a lot to me. Reply
Monika Cooper November 24, 2022 Ironic juxtaposition running through this, the similarities and contrasts with the delusion of the theme and the glorious Resurrection of the real King of creation. He too had His chief mourners; I think especially of St. Mary Magdalen. The line “Everyone loves the cross these days, it seems” brings it to an especially fine point, with the cult of the Cross secretly, inexorably, rising at this time in history. And the “bright, exquisite scream” at the end, as the delusion shatters in climactic anti-climax. Really amazing. Reply
Shaun C. Duncan November 24, 2022 Thank you, Monika. I’d hoped that irony would come through without having to labour the point too much. “Everyone loves the cross” seemed like a bit of an indulgence at first, but I like the idea that Nero has no idea of the crucial role the persecutions he inaugurated will have in spreading the faith. Reply
Monika Cooper December 1, 2022 I hope you send the poem to this year’s SCP International Poetry Competition!
C.B. Anderson November 26, 2022 This poem is so good I can barely follow it. What have you been drinking? What have you been thinking? Reply