The Sadness of the Stone Lion, by Martin Rocek

Stone Lion, Prague, Wallenstein Palace, photograph by the author, Martin Rocek.

The Sadness of the Stone Lion

The black caves of his eyes echo
picks prying, hands hauling, 
wagons jarring, chisels chipping
(among gargoyles and angels),
ropes swinging him,
stern and majestic,  
to guard a palace gate.

Then soot poured into his eyes
and smoke-soured rain
eroded his vigilance,
and children’s fingers
polished his nose.

I will pass, but I will outlast you.
​
Martin Rocek

Martin Rocek is a string theorist living on Setauket, NY. He teaches physics at Stony Brook University. He was born in Prague and in addition to his own writing, translates songs and poems from Czech into English.