You know that your world
has crumbled around you.
Your armies have been defeated,
a way of life is coming to an end
and a new world is beginning.
But you also know there is no way
that you can fit in to this new world
of commerce and free people.
So you walk up the graceful staircase
to the second floor of your mansion
with the Greek columns in front,
and you look at some pictures
and read some letters that were written
to one of your beaus years ago.
You sigh, but you realize
there is no turning back,
your world is ended--
gone with the wind--
so you take the case
from the closet and open it
and pull out the pistol
and point it at the fair curls
on your head.