I count the days until my graduation. Much as I should do so in thanks for my mother’s resourcefulness in ensuring I got this far, and for the freedom and autonomy formal adulthood—my ‘majority’—brings, those are not my reasons. As you know, I much prefer the bindings, cuffs, or ribbons you offer to any freedom.
You can likely tell from the bent of this opening how much I miss you and in how many ways…
How is your autumn faring? Do you miss me as I miss you? I thought to challenge you, thus I am not including the poem number for this translation. Can you find it?
After flipping through the book of poetry once more, he added another reference below the first translated poem.
I hope this next one makes you laugh. You shan’t find this particular carmen translated anywhere in a bookstore…
O ridiculous thing, Cato, and absurd,
Worthy of your hearing, and of your sneering.
Laugh, Cato, as you love Catullus;
The thing is ridiculous, nay, too absurd.
I just came upon a lad who on a girl
Was thrusting and, if it pleases the mother of Venus,
I pierced him with the stiffest staff of mine.
Your beribboned servant,
William
* * * *
Staring around the dim pub, packed with drunken Oxford students, William swore again. He and South shared one class, but he had not seen his friend in over a week. Even when he had, it had not been in the classroom.
Wading his way through the crowd, he headed for the back corner South preferred, watching for a swinging tankard. Finding a mutual acquaintance, he leaned in to shout, “Where’s South?”
“Haven’t seen him.”
“Today?”
“For a few days.” The student shrugged and turned back to the conversation at the table.
William swore again and turned to stomp out.
A barmaid tugged his sleeve. “Milord?”
“Pardon me, I need to—” he edged away.
“Your friend was in most days last week but was gone by the time the other upperclassmen arrived. He came in today to give me a bit of coin in thanks and said he was returning to London.”
“London?” He was aghast. “’Tis the middle of the semester.”
She shrugged. “I was just trying to help you.”
“Thank you, miss. I do appreciate it. I did not mean to yell at you.”
He rushed to South’s rooms.
His friend was packing books in crates, his clothing already in trunks.
“What’re you doing?” William hovered in the doorway, hands on the doorframe.
