Comment from Colorado Owl

Exceptional

This deserves six stars on multiple levels. It's well written with excellent flow and word choice. I particularly like "Dissolve like the echoes of applause"... just perfect! You also make an important statement on the similarities of what we watch "for fun". Very well done!

 Comment Written 25-Jul-2024

---

reply by the author on 26-Jul-2024

Thanks again for the exceptional review and your support estory

Comment from Gypsy Blue Rose

Excellent

This wonderful poem is about the Coliseum and the violence there. Next month the movie Gladiator comes out. I can't wait to watch it. People have that sickening desire to watch horror and destruction, it's a shame.

 Comment Written 25-Jul-2024

---

reply by the author on 26-Jul-2024

Thanks for the excellent review and your perspective on the poem. I just want to get people thinking about similar our times are to the Roman culture. estory

Comment from Ulla

Exceptional

Right, estory, here goes my last six. You captured this so very well. They come, they see, they conquer, and then the whole thing collapses as a deck of cards. History repeating itself in a nutshell. I liked it. Ulla :)))

 Comment Written 25-Jul-2024

---

reply by the author on 26-Jul-2024

Thanks again for the exceptional review estory

Comment from Debbie D'Arcy

Excellent

A fine verse focusing on the coliseum as an embodiment of violent entertainment that would have thrilled the masses. Nothing has changed. We still watch it all, now through a screen, and feel some degree of addictive, ghoulish need. Your verse ends ominously with that "awed, eerie silence" that threatens us all. Small edit: tra(ged)y I know you know it but it got into a bit of a jumble. Nicely done post with excellent notes and free verse. Thanks for sharing. Debbie

 Comment Written 25-Jul-2024

---

reply by the author on 26-Jul-2024

Thanks for the excellent review it was nice to hear about how much you liked that ending. I worked a bit on that. I wanted to get that feeling of closeness that we have with that culture. Uncomfortably close. estory

Comment from barbara.wilkey

Excellent

Yes, horrible things happened in The Coliseum. Today's athletics do make an unreasonable amount of money for what they do. It's not right. Thank you for sharing this contest entry with us.

 Comment Written 25-Jul-2024

---

reply by the author on 26-Jul-2024

Thanks for the excellent review and your thoughts supporting the poem. I used to watch sports, the Yankees and the Islanders, some soccer, but the salaries today and the cost of going to games is ridiculously obscene. And when they allowed the gambling, I said sayonara. estory

Comment from Pamusart

Excellent

Hi, estory

I realize that in the gladiator days and maybe other days slaves and gladiators were killed. It was definitely really bloody in the Colosseum in Rome.

Imagine how those poor gladiators and slays felt as they were devoured by lions and tigers are killed by other gladiators. And the ludicrous thumbs up thumbs down business that an emperor, just one person can decide who lives and who dies.

In the modern sports, it is possible for people to get injured even fatally. But I don't think it's to the degree that it was in Rome

Some people claim, and they may be right, that modern day sports are a form of slavery. Most of the participants are black, except maybe in baseball and hockey. But they're making outrageous money so they keep doing it. They're under contract with the team and so if they want to leave, they lose a lot of their salary.

Anyway a very interesting poem by you

I enjoyed reading your poem

Good job. Thank you for sharing.

 Comment Written 25-Jul-2024

---

reply by the author on 26-Jul-2024

Thanks for the excellent review and your perspective on the poem. I think there are lots of similarities between Rome and our culture of today. We are just as obsessed with fame, glory, violence and spectacle. And we are on the verge of bloodsport. It isn't as far off as it seems. estory

reply by Pamusart on 26-Jul-2024

It is the nature of men throughout the centuries.

There were probably some people second by it in Rome too as we are. But the majority rules.

Comment from patcelaw

Excellent

This is farewell written, and it moves very smoothly when it is read aloud I wish you the very best with all of your writing. I'll also wish you a very pleasant weekend and may God bless you.

This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.

 Comment Written 25-Jul-2024

---

reply by the author on 26-Jul-2024

Thanks for the excellent review estory

Comment from Bryce 1

Excellent

Fantastic. I really liked this. The words seemed to build and then crumble together in the end like the coliseum itself! What a work of art. This is the best one I've read today no cap

This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.

 Comment Written 25-Jul-2024

---

reply by the author on 26-Jul-2024

Thanks for the excellent review. I like that sense of crumbling. I tried to create that effect, of a society and a culture in decline, crumbling out from beneath itself in its obsession with spectacle, violence, and fame. estory