Life by Projection Lyrics

I stand atop this glistening, byzantine spire,
the eye of my kingdom,
so that I may remember something, lost
to the crumbling ages.

From this eagle's perch,
I survey my cities,
from the glowing, pallid marble
of their Eastern walls,
to the Western sands,
carried by the steady breath of the sea.

My eminence is affirmed,
by the drumming of the legion's march,
by the laurels at their rest,
upon my brow. And should the proud
patricians stay their ardent daggers—
Bury them in hearty hams, instead,
I may reign, like god, forever...

but I have suspended disbelief,
from the jagged fishing-hooks
of fantasy. I am Emperor on the screen,
or in the depths
of grandiose reflections.

I am the equity of quotidian days,
frittered in the back row,
below the rhythmic flicker
of a mechanized projection...

And when the centurions are on their march,
through convoluted Roman streets and alleyways,
they flip golden coins,
that bear upon their face, the glory
of my handsome Roman features—

but only as I doze to sleep.