Summer Night, Riverside - Sara Teasdale

In the wild soft summer darkness

How many and many a night we two together

Sat in the park and watched the Hudson

Wearing her lights like golden spangles

Glinting on black satin.

The rail along the curving pathway

Was low in a happy place to let us cross,

And down that hill a tree that dripped with bloom

Sheltered us

While your kisses and the flowers,

Falling, falling,

Tangled my hair...

The frail white stars moved slowly over the sky.

And now, far off

In the fragrant darkness

The tree is tremulous again with bloom

For June comes back.

To-night what girl

When she goes home,

Dreamily before her mirror shakes from her hair

This year's blossoms, clinging in its coils?

When to my lone soft bed at eve returning - Louise Labe

When to my lone soft bed at eve returning

Sweet desir'd sleep already stealeth o'er me,

My spirit flieth to the fairy-land of her tyrannous love.

Him then I think fondly to kiss, to hold him

Frankly then to my bosom; I that all day

Have looked for him suffering, repining, yea many long days.

O bless'd sleep, with flatteries beguile me;

So, if I ne'er may of a surety have him,

Grant to my poor soul amorous the dark gift of this illusion.

(translated by Robert Bridges)

This night of no moon - Ono No Komachi

This night of no moon

There is no way to meet him.

I rise in longing --

My breast pounds, a leaping flame,

My heart is consumed in fire.

(translated by Donald Keene)

hello!

hi.

in the last few months, i've received a bunch of comments here on the blog from tons of different people, including a poet whose work i've posted previously.

i am so honored that you enjoy the pieces i've posted here and am glad that i can share my love of the written word with you.

this started as a small private project to consolidate poems i enjoyed over time, and i had no idea that i would be reaching so many readers with this little blog that i don't even update as much as i should.

thanks for stopping by - if you read often, i'd love to have your "hellos" here because this is my hello to you.

brigid