Multiple Imperial Cultures

Left residues on a wall
That ended with a village
On top of it years later,

A few thousand years later,
When imperial cultures
Had gotten in the habit

Of pretending not to be
Imperial, contending
Power was for the people

As people slaughtered people
To hold power over them
And over the finer things,

Changed considerably since
Multiple imperial
Cultures fought with chariots

And boasted of baking bricks
And having lots of horses
With which to charge into war

With bronze or iron weapons,
Thus to slaughter each other,
As proof of greater power.