"You must beware the Ides of March!"
A warning for deaf ear:
the Roman Empire's patriarch
would not be ruled by fear.
"Forebear, my love, and let it seem
that love made you relent.
I saw you suffer in my dream,"
his wife warned as he went.
"We greet you with the will of Rome!"
The Senate plotters cried.
In blood and knives beneath the dome
of justice, Caesar died.
"And you, my friend? Et tu, Brute?"
he sighed in deathly pall,
"Our destinies entwine today,
for you and Rome shall fall."
Author notes
Had to get the March/patriarch rhyme out of my head! I don't think this is particularly good (EDIT: actually, it's truly terrible, and a ludicrous distortion of the historical events) - I would need to do more research and pick better rhymes and words for it.
(Also, not many people can die in one line and then deliver famous last words the next 
)
See the companion piece, "Liberatores" - http://allpoetry.com/poem/5426431 - which followed the writing of this piece and greatly extended it.
What did you think?
Comments
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You're way to hard on yourself. This is really quite an excellent ballad form. Perhaps instead of 'Patriarch' which you don't like, and is more of a sight rhyme than a sound one, you could somehow use the word 'Arch' instead. Maybe something like, 'The Empire 'neath the Roman arch', or something. I don't know, I have my own poetic difficulties to try and clear up and edit, and have many lines that I wish were different, but I usually have to wait for the right phrase or word to pop up unexpectadely. Anyway, you did a fine job here, and it was a pleasure to read as always. I shall read your latest piece right away, as soon as I scarf down this Teen-Burger.
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Hmm...I still don't like it. It's here as an example of how the same ideas can be portrayed in different forms, and how one idea can be a springboard for more.
As the poem stands it's just a bit silly and simplistic. And Caesar's death really deserved the in-depth treatment that I gave it in Liberatores, anyway.
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