.                  After Catullus (64.397)

The gods will not come now impiety stains us

now that for injustice nobody desires justice

brothers killing brothers parents un-mourned

they will not come now to funerals

for a father wished death on his grown-up son

so he might marry her hesitant of his heir

they will not come now to marriages

for they see auguries in incest

even household gods flee such pollution

an evil mix blended thoroughly with madness

has turned them away they will not mind us

they do not want to dignify our feasts

not suffer their clear brilliance to be stained. 

                         Dick Russell

                           copyright

                              2016