Pompeii

The ruins of Pompeii fascinate me.
It was obviously
A very prosperous,
Upscale community
When Mt. Vesuvius erupted
In 79 AD,
And it remained
An untouched
Volcanically entombed
Time capsule
For nearly 1700 years.
I can just imagine
The excitement
Of the archeologists
Who participated in unearthing
That ancient city.
They have been working
On that excavation
For close to 250 years now.
As I walked along
The streets of the city,
I saw deep groves
Warn into the stones
From chariots
And ox carts
Nearly 2000 years before.
I gazed in awe
At the wall murals
And intricate floor tiles
On many of the buildings,
And I wondered
What ancient secrets
Remain to be uncovered.
It’s easy to picture
The city as it must have been
Before it was destroyed.
It was magnificent
And teeming with people,
Rich and influential merchants,
Seamen and travelers,
Aristocrats and commoners,
Then in one terrible
Volcanic eruption,
All was destroyed.