Sunday, December 27, 2009

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)

Saturday, December 26, 2009

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