Where’s Catullus?

A Work in Progress

111

Where’s Catullus?

He’s gone all in and taken us with him

We’re all at war 

It’s just like him

A big distraction

Caesar’s attacked Persia

Has he gone too far?

You know he wants to go further

Alexander the Great 

Went that way

Next came Afghanistan

Then came India

Till his troops turned for home

On his way back

He died 

Leaving an empire

For Rome to conquer

Once again

Will he lose his legions

Who can tell us?

Will he lose elections

Who can tell us?

Will the Senate impeach him

Rescue the country?

Where’s Catullus?

Who can tell us?

Dick Russell © Richard M Russell

                  2026

For Sue

Catcherside: by Ian Scott, played by Nick Leeming

First footsteps on the flagstones then the pumping of the drones

It’s Catcherside the piper plays up high there in the stones

Watching the sea’s incoming waves but his thoughts are far away

Crossing over to life from death his mind has gone astray

Taken by the melody he’s walking by the sea

Caring all the time for the changing of the tide

Till that moment in the music when its suddenly lost its way

Confronting loss when everything’s a path that leads away

New moons will wax and wane and tides will ebb and flow

That’s not how love doth intermesh and permeate a soul

Which wanders off and leaves you alone with just her name

How love can never leave you music makes you whole again

Then footsteps on the flagstones sudden silence of the drones

It’s Catcherside the piper played up high there in the stones

Music makes you whole again cheers departing souls

Memory entertains again music starts anew

Dick Russell © Richard M Russell

                       2026

Mid-February

A Work in Progress
110

By eleven ten the sun had cleared the trees 

uphill of the slope of the wooded park

we have six long hours and building of good solar

breakfast and dinner eaten while its dark

Daffodils, crocuses budding in the sunlight

pink plum blossom and white, red alders bloom again

pollen season starting allergies awaken

no bumble bees yet, cedar seeds in the fountain

Seagulls mobbing a herring ball out in the sound

porpoises circling working the turned tide rip

salmon herding herring unseen while coyotes

howl near rabbit warrens in the bank hip, lip, yip

Distraction rules the day holding all at bay

Billie our Border Collie checks if all’s OK

Dick Russell © Richard M Russell

                       2026