Poetry Sunday 24 July 2016

This from our Poetry Editor Ira Maine (Man of Taste).
The wonderfully lustful Roman poet Catullus, written a couple of thousand years ago:

Dear Ipsitilla, my sweetheart.
My darling, precious, beautiful tart,
Invite me round to be your guest
At noon. Say yes, and i’ll request
Another favour: make quite sure
That no one latches the front door
And don’t slip out for a breath of air,
But stay inside, please, and prepare
A love-play with nine long acts in it,
No intervals either! Quick, this minute,
Now if you’re in the giving mood;
For lying here, full of good food,
I feel a second hunger poke
Up through my tunic and my cloak.

(1959 Bobbs-Merrill, ODI ET AMO, THE COMPLETE POETRY OF CATULLUS, Roy Arthur Swanson) –