The Majesty of Paris – A Poem
By Douglas J. Lanzo
As I rambled through Paris
on cobblestone paths
past storied museums
with arched Roman baths,
I fancied red chariots
pulled down regal streets
to cheers of spectators
and green laurel wreaths,
proclaiming Rome’s Caesar
their ruler supreme,
until Gaul’s King Clovis
realized the Frank’s dream,
uniting the kingdom
that would become France,
by becoming Catholic
and force of his lance.
I beheld the grandeur
of fountains and pools,
with sculptures of tritons
gilding royal rules,
and soaked in the splendor
of arched granite ways,
that greeted French soldiers —
full pomp on display,
returning on horseback
from Grand Army wars,
serving their Emperor
on multiple tours,
campaigning through Europe
in battles royale
until their Napoleon
fought bataille finale.
Exhausted by wars
I turned toward the sky
where the Eiffel Tower
arrested my eyes,
rising resplendent
at night more than day,
it dazzled with light —
bursting hues on display.
As I climbed up the tower
one stair at a time,
I pondered the city
and its sights sublime.
“What rivals on earth
this divine pageantry,
from the city of lights
crowning its majesty?”
Douglas Lanzo is an award-winning American author and poet whose Newbery-nominated, debut novel, The Year of the Bear, won the 2023 Ames Awards for Young Adult Books, was named a Finalist for the 2023 Hawthorne Prize, and was a 2022 Firebird Award winner. His second book, I Have Lived, was recently named a double Firebird Award Gold Medal winner in the Novella and Romance/Suspense categories. Doug’s poetry has been widely published in 67 literary journals and 7 anthologies in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, England, Wales, Austria, Mauritius, India, Japan and Australia. He and his wife, identical twin sons, cat, pufferfish and hermit crabs reside in Chevy Chase, Maryland—and but the pets enjoy nature, fishing, tennis, snorkeling and hiking. Visit his website at www.douglaslanzo.com.