On August 24th AD 79
My mistress and I popped out to dine
Some red wine with our veal, then after our meal
Thought our naked bodies we might intertwine
Back at home at each other’s clothes we tore
Even invented a new way to make love like never before
Yet that sooty night in Pompeii, as we got carried away
The earth moved for her and so did the floor
Illicit lovers were we
In a flash conjoined statues would be
Vesuvius’ eruption saw to that, no time for chit-chat
Now at the Museum see us interwoven for free
Still, I still thank The Gods, those miserable sods
In more ways than one as you will see,
For if our discretion of sort, had been put before Matrimonial Court
Pliny the Elder would have hung me from the nearest tree
For it was his dearest wife
Who was my elixir of life
A gal who would afford me her favours whenever
Whereas Pliny himself, not in best of good health, his leg geteth-over, he never!
- MIKE STEEDEN - 
rollicking good farce – brilliant invocation of Pliny’s witness to events
Cheers Paul. Not sure if you like TV docs. yet our Mary Beard is tremendously fine documentary maker. Her Pompeii one is a gem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnIY6AE4m6E
thanks, mike – I shall watch it with great relish
Laughing out loud! Don’t you wonder how many naked genitals were ingloriously preserved?
Dashed bad luck every which way really! I think this poor couple now feature in Denver Museum your side of the pond.
Preservation of things goneby
Or in this case preservation of ‘bits’ it seems!
So right
Not the average romp in the hay, preserved for eternity..
What a way to go…they died happy I guess.
Here’s to hoping so… the noose didn’t seems like a good option.
Of course, if they were British they would have had socks and pinafores on…’tis only proper.
You were probably doing him a favor then!
Was she not a ‘looker’?
No, just thought the poor man might have a heart attack.
Do you know young Marissa I’ve completely lost the thread of this thread! Must be an age thing.
If you click on the comment it will take you back to the beginning…or we can just start an equally inane conversation tomorrow!
Every single time, I have nothing to say at the end of your writings. Please don’t take it the wrong way, they are wonderful, Mike.
Ha ha…. Poignant face. The very best mixture and only you can carry it off x
One’s brain hurts this day…thought 12k might afford a cure…sadly not! Still we finished above Spurs which makes my plight worth it!
Well, may your brain often hurt when you write such sublime stuff x
Ha ha, great!
My thanks
I don’t always entirely understand your poems i.e. what they refer to. But reading the comments clarifies a lot. And I admire your way with words. Beautiful writing.
My sincere thanks Heila…I too often do not have clue what they mean. There is always a theme yet the rest…well the rest is simply thoughts given freedom, although sometimes I method act the characters involved…sends my wife mad when I stay in character though!
Ha ha.
Love the poem 🙂 Petrified lovers died in a fraction of a second. Would be fun if the ending of your poem was a right guess.
I guessing here that if one has to die then perhaps this way was far better than dying alone!
Eternal happiness.
You see now you raise the question of a soul beyond the living soul…deep stuff methinks
No, I just thought about their petrified happiness 🙂
What an excellent idea… And it could have been perfectly true, as many characters were kept still, petrified, doing daily things… and even nightly things ❤ … I love it, Mike… Sending best wishes. Aquileana 😀
Must have been a pain if one had been working all day; just ordered up an after work pint in the local pub; then petrified before the glass touched one’s lips. Hardly fair!
It’s in stone now.
Bit like my big toe then!
Bit of a red neck to be caught for all time in flagrante. Although, better than dying on the toilet, I suppose!
True…I understand my granddad (who I never met) died on said toilet poor chap. I’d hate to be a paramedic I think.
Brilliant.