Trinity Journal of Literary Translation
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79
Pagan Rome or the Poster at the Entrance to the Cinema II
trans. Keith Payne
Pagan Rome was built on hills
from the sky it looked like a great
video game that came out at night. They put us on show there they
all of them prey for their display.
We drank from the small breasts
that gushed from the walls for us a picture postcard
a glimmer.
Buildings soared were crowned then withered by cloud wisp.
Pagan Rome Chile Night Club
The arena and the plain where we get the head down
Caligula’s dream the night before his assassination
when he believed he was one of us and danced naked
without a word.