Above Suspicion

Above Suspicion
From Magna Graecia
you came Bona Dea.
Good goddess,
divinity of ancient Rome,
daughter of Faunus,
your nature, sweet Fauna
predicted the female fate.
From across Tiber Island
to the Field of Mars
your cult topped
Aventine Hill
to protect the
chastity and fertility
of all women of Rome.
From you flowed strong wine
and the sacrifice of blood,
forbidden fruits from which
all men were barred.
But Pulcher was tried
for his intrusion
and Julius Caesar
was thus divorced.

10/02/13

Reviews

[KAOlmsted]

Now this was an education on the ancients that I absolutely enjoyed thoroughly. Thank you, John...this was an exceptional read.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you stranger. Hope all is well?

[KAOlmsted]

My pleasure, always. And yes, thank you, all is well. I lost the hard drive on my computer, but it's fixed now. Last week sucked ;-)

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Glad you are back on line. Dropped my laptop last week and it was not happy so needed a new computer. Life in the fast lane eh!

[KAOlmsted]

Butter fingers ;-) I've gone through no less than twelve computers in the past ten years. I am a menace. Thanks, John...I'm happy to be back.

[SHEEMA HUQ]

I think that this classic biographical poetic conversion has been successful
nice writing
thanks

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Well thank Sheema

[Rhianne Ney]

The history is well-weaved here. Nice job~!

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you Rhianne

[Rhianne Ney]

You're so welcome~!~

["Fanatical Dreamer"]

Great history,very interesting

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Many Thanks HP

[Allan W]

I want to go and study classics now! Stop it John.....Your making life too interesting! Love this piece! Allan :)

[John Alexander McFadyen]

thank you so much Allan

[Leslie Philibert]

Like the historical background, Fauna I knew as the Latin word for animals, as in flora and fauna, and fauns as spirits, but I had to google Pulcher. So a poem which made me work, which I like, and a good poem.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you Leslie

[Katherine]

Loved it. The flow is beautiful.

Constructive criticism: Reading it aloud, I would get rid of "and" in the line "and the sacrifice of blood" and "was" in the last line.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Hi Katherine, Hope you are good. Many thanks for the read and I will take a look at your suggestioins

[Geon Quuin]

I"m sorry. I started laughing when I read the name Faunus. It sounded like anus. pfft. Anyways, although the names were foreign to me, and I'm not quite sure what the Fields of Mars is, a battlefield maybe?, it has a serious overtone that calls great urgency.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

The Campus Martius (Latin for the "Field of Mars", Italian Campo Marzio), was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about 2 square kilometres (490 acres) in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome. The IV rione of Rome, Campo Marzio, which covers a smaller section of the original area, bears the same name.

[Geon Quuin]

I had no idea. That was very insightful. Thank you for enlightening me with this knowledge.

[Geon Quuin]

Still, Faunus. pfft. I'm still laughing. xD

[.]

Beautiful write,John. I love the historical insight if this poem. Bravo.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you Cord.

[quinfinn]

et tu Brute? Caesar was more than just divorced and if you talk to Bill and Ted he also became that "salad dressing dude". i love it when someone takes a write to incorporate history and/or myth within. makes for very interesting reading and, in your case, very fluid and easily read. well done John

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Many thank yous Quin!

[quinfinn]

you're welcome John