“Long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.” — Juneval A.D. 100

These are the days of wine and roses
of elegant lies
of media poses

and if the poor
can’t give more than they take
let them die in the streets, let them all eat cake

for today is the day
of the game of kings
of which Cláudia and fat Pitbull sing

so let them hide in the favelas
fearing for their lives, or
so live-streams tell us
hide in plain sight, un-show the world
poor Brazil’s plight

because the party must go on
to sell those commercials
for Chevy and Ford, & to pay JLo’s rehearsals

Nero
and his bread and circus
can’t touch Brazil’s teargas and all that hurts us,
this is on a grander scale
deaths that are not reported
and reporters beaten in jail

but let’s film from the beach and show TV a smile
the game is on
it only la$t$ for awhile

“… iam pridem, ex quo suffragia nulli uendimus, effudit curas; nam qui dabat olim imperium, fasces, legiones, omnia, nunc se continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, panem et circenses.”

(Juvenal, Sátiras X, 77–81)