Nero(1) A Stuck Inside Poem: Day 28

The story goes Nero murdered his own mother.

She was traveling on a ship and Nero had it sunk,

but his mother swam ashore and Nero ordered

a group of soldiers to meet her and kill her. Her

last words were, “Take back word that I have recovered,

but if you have come here to do crime, believe nothing

about my son. He has not ordered

his mother’s murder.” And I wonder if that story

were to happen today, are we Nero’s mom?

Are we in denial about who wants us dead?

Are we Nero’s soldiers? Instead

of following our better angels, are we

feeding the hand that bites us?

Are we the ship? Unknowingly carrying

something volatile and drowning

because of it? Are we Nero?  Killing

whoever is next to us with little concern

because we don’t have to watch

the dirt get done?

 [1] After I learned Seneca, the dude who coined stoicism, was Nero’s tutor, it became more obvious that stoicism is indeed for psychopaths.