Eight Men From History

Canto I:

Ptahhotep, Joseph's Counselor, I would find you first.
Wisest of  the wise, your counsel withstands.
You instruct the sages, and all who love truth will find you.
How I, yes I, would wish to be like you.
Known to those sweetest fellows,
Whose souls are identical to me.
I would seek out your wisdom, and forsake all folly.

Canto II:

Then, I would meet Pythagoras, across the way,
After he returned home from Babylon.
He sailed to Tyre, then Egypt, then Babylon
Bringing wisdom to Greece, establishing her
As the strongest culture the world had ever seen.
Sophism in its proper right, would burgeon.
Oh, how I would love to be like you.

Canto III:

Then I would meet Ignatius, sweet Ignatius.
Sweetest of the martyrs, loved by all the saints.
Your epistles counsel those sacred seekers,
Only one out of ten thousand seek your wisdom.
Your life is one worth emulating,
Into the coliseums you went,
After laboring and suffering. I would love to be like you.

Canto IV:

Boethius, I would then meet. Yes, sweet Boethius.
A sage and scholar of Rome, who preserved the Senate;
Fought against Theodorus with his blood
Shed by martyrdom, and made the bedrock
Of the world's education, a foundation stone.
Theodorus created a dark age, and dissolved the Senate
But, you sought to preserve Democracy. How I would love to be like you.

Canto V: 

Kubla Khan, then I would meet. Sovereign of China
Who conquered them, and brought order;
Instilled liberty in his land, and expanded his father's kingdom.
Through good will, he went South, and East, and West
And inquired of Christ when he knew nothing of Him.
For a Barbarian brought civilization,
And inspired the Song Dynasty, China's greatest Dynasty.

Canto VI:

Michelangelo, I would love to meet you.
Wise as a sage, able to sculpt David and the Pieta.
Great Michelangelo, simplest of men, a humble artist.
No great deigns did you have for power.
You simply made your art, and were content.
I would love to be like you, and create.
And so I do, not seeking immortal name, save through my arts.

Canto VII:

James Madison, I would love to meet you.
Greatest sage, the composer of our Constitution...
Wisest of our Founders. You created the bedrock
On which the greatest civilization in history stood.
Subdued, very few know your name
Save those who know of history.
And though you were wary of our Bill of Rights, you then led the charge to victory.

Canto VIII:

Dwight D. Eisenhower. Greatest American President, I would meet you last.
You won World War II, you built our civilization's golden peak.
You, my friend, are the architect of our great world.
You instilled peace, defeated Nazis, brought greatness
To America's name, where before she had none.
You helped build our name, and had no politics.
You simply did what was right, in the moment.

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