The Bosses of Rome

These are the bosses of Rome; take a good look.
They know how to deal with scum like us. They learn
To cook us on both sides as no other cook
Could cook us, turned out perfectly, done to a turn.
First comes the pope, for all the afflicted. Now
The cardinals, like endless rows of roses,
And then the bishops, holier-than-thou,
Making up laws and looking down their noses.
Each one in his place, and number four,
The heads of the orders of monks to kill the bull,
To finish us off. Coming behind them, the corps
Of foreign diplomats with open knives
To claim the bull’s ears. And last of all
The gentlemen of Rome with their beautiful wives.

Dieses Sonett von Giuseppe Belli (1791-1863) stellt Edward Hirsch in seiner Washington Post-Kolumne Poet´s choice *) am 4.1.04 vor. Belli schrieb 2000 römische Sonette.