Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The Hug

The Hug
by Thom Gunn


It was your birthday, we had drunk and dined
Half of the night with our old friend
Who'd showed us in the end
To a bed I reached in one drunk stride.
Already I lay snug,
And drowsy with the wine dozed on one side.

I dozed, I slept. My sleep broke on a hug,
Suddenly, from behind,
In which the full lengths of our bodies pressed:
Your instep to my heel,
My shoulder-blades against your chest.
It was not sex, but I could feel
The whole strength of your body set,
Or braced, to mine,
And locking me to you
As if we were still twenty-two
When our grand passion had not yet
Become familial.
My quick sleep had deleted all
Of intervening time and place.
I only knew
The stay of your secure firm dry embrace.

Friday, May 8, 2009

The Rainy Day

Written at the old home in Portland

THE day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains,and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains,and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall, <<(this is a well-known quote--have you heard it?)
Some days must be dark and dreary.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Sunday, May 3, 2009

9 Million

Twilight

Twilight

    DREAMILY over the roofs
    The cold spring rain is falling,
    Out in the lonely tree
    A bird is calling, calling.

    Slowly over the earth
    The wings of night are falling;
    My heart like the bird in the tree
    Is calling, calling, calling.

The Secret

You are the secret my heart holds silently, quietly, gleefully. When life erupts around me or tu...