Turbulent March and Hot July
In Rome the god of war and youth was Mars.
This nodded to the young men who would die
From March and onwards, or who grasped hard scars
And heroism. That god might imply
Far more since he could not resist the charms
His sister, Venus, offered in her bed.
The Romans knew full well the kinds of harms
That youthful males might bring, the thrills and dread.
One Caesar, Julius, embodied these
Dimensions, randy as he was for flesh
Of every kind in sex and war. Men’s knees
Went up so manly hearts and souls could mesh
With him inside their guts and women felt
His thrusts inside their depths. He made them melt.