Up Close and Pulchritude
Hercules Musei Capitolini, Wikipedia
The way we view ourselves as humans lies
In how we see our past. Imagine then
An ancient statue of a man. His eyes
Are white, white, white. Yet what if ancient men
Had irises of deep Aegean blue
Instead of marble’s purity of bright
Remove from daily life. This fact would skew
The way we know our truth. That would ignite
A different beauty in our history. And . . .
What if all his lower half were gold,
With gilded legs and genitals? The bland
Would vanish. Beauty then would almost scold.
And . . . what if, mirror-like, that metal sheen
Showed us on thighs there, staring closely, keen?
