Empires by Charles Simić

Empires

My grandmother prophesied the end

Of your empires, O fools!

She was ironing. The radio was on.

The earth trembled beneath our feet.

One of your heroes was giving a speech.

“Monster,” she called him.

There were cheers and gun salutes for the monster.

“I could kill him with my bare hands,”

She announced to me.

There was no need to. They were all

Going to the devil any day now.

“Don’t go blabbering this to anyone,”

She warned me.

And pulled my ear to make sure I understood.