The Death of Titus

On the night that Titus fell
His night nest was not empty,
Not empty, but silent.
His body still warm,
Still warm to receive
The procession of still warmer bodies
Come to bear witness to what had
Fallen.
 
First comes Umushikirano,
He beats his chest and begins to
Shake the fallen emperor.
Later he will tell the other blackbacks
This was simply a display of his
Dominance.
One half of a truth unspoken.
 
When he has left,
When she is sure that it is safe,
Tuck approaches the nest.
She can just make out the empty hollow
Where she spent the night;
The same shadow she has occupied
For season
After season
After season.
She strokes her lover’s cheek,
Then lowers her
 
Juvenile son, Segasira
Who stands