Nashville X

Gotham’s Greek goddess of war
between those poured concrete columns,
gold-gilded and shielded for battle
with eyes fixed forward on some plan,
she might be Parvati Parthenos
with her gift of darshana
in nearly any other forsaken land,
but we pay homage, in deference
to the cold concrete goddess
indifferent to silence,
and hoping she’ll bless us
in loud, shouting presence,
her statue does nothing but stand:
Athena, sweet virgin,
or warmonger emerging,
decide which to be
and come forward
to give us command.