Future Tense
Mostly, I’m hoping
Some of this will lie around
Like Claudius’s second copy
According to the novel
To be found under an urn
Behind a shelf that no one sought
To look (behind)
For ages
That dusting off
(however that’s done
with electrons)
There will be some words
From someone we didn’t know
Maybe some initials,
Half a word for clues
We’ll read
And have two sets of wondering:
What was this person saying then?
What is this person saying now?
The first we’ll most likely
Never know
The second will be up to us
We own the words, now
C L Couch
(I, Claudius and Claudius the God by Robert Graves)
clcouch123 
July 25, 2020 at 7:01 pm
I loved Graves’ reconstruction of the life of Claudius, even though historians say they’re not accurate and Claudius was not quite the bullied victim who just wanted to be left alone with his book that Graves paints him. Who cares? Unless of course someone is going to make a claim against him…
July 26, 2020 at 1:43 am
I like the depiction by Graves as well. I was drawn into the character and that world, while also enjoying my distance from it. Not accurate–I agree, who cares? Graves knew a great deal about the ancient world and the various traditions in it. Certainly enough for me.
July 26, 2020 at 4:12 pm
Have you read Count Belisarius? I enjoyed that too, and his explanation of the Greek Myths.
July 26, 2020 at 9:18 pm
I haven’t. Thank you for the recommendation! Reading about history, myths, and legends from various perspectives is a favorite thing to do.
July 30, 2020 at 12:18 am
https://itssimpleandeasy.wordpress.com/
July 27, 2020 at 8:38 pm
Electronic information is not like a relative rummaging through my personal effects when I’m gone from this planet. Will, they just delete the hard drive on the computer and the details of my life pass from this existence, along with me. It’s not like discovering a treasure of old notebooks, diaries and photographs. I own copies of I Claudius and Claudius the God, as well as books 1 & 2 of his Greek Myths. Have I mentioned before that I belonged to the London based Folio Society and have a number of their classics? Then I retired and couldn’t afford them. Eloquent as ever, Christopher.
July 27, 2020 at 9:40 pm
Thank you, Len, and it’s great to hear from you. I don’t know about all the gory details of our lives, but I think some of what we set down here should be available somehow.
I didn’t know you were in the Folio Society. Beautiful books. I have a couple; James Thurber’s work is one. I’m glad you have the works of Graves, the novels and the myth collections. I read the novels a long while ago but often think about them.
I hope your week is off to a promising start!