Day 122: Love in Autumn

Autumn leaves, in love with the wind, 'whirl to their own death.' Or so it is in Carol Ann Duffy's poem, 'Love'.  Hard not to be in love with the leaves this time of year. Everywhere you go, their gold greets you. 

But it's not just the trees - the whole landscape is in love in this poem - the land 'yearns', the moon 'aches and frets' for the earth, as lovelorn as the poet. (For when you're in love - it seems the whole world mirrors it back to you!)

This poem comes from Carol Ann Duffy's collection of love poetry from a few years back, 'Rapture.' I remember getting it one Autumn, maybe October, and being completely absorbed in its telling of - by all accounts - a great love affair, nature as its background, passion as its theme.  If you like love poetry, you'll love it. And you just can't help but fall in love with the seasons too, especially her descriptions of them.

Love - Carol Ann Duffy

Love is talent, the world love's metaphor.
Aflame, October's leaves adore the wind,
its urgent breath, whirl to their own death.
Not here, you're everywhere. 

                                                The evening sky
worships the ground, bears down, the land
yearns back in darkening hills. The night
is empathy, stars in its eyes for tears. Not here, 

you're where I stand, hearing the sea, crazy
for the shore, seeing the moon ache and fret
for the earth. When morning comes, the sun, ardent,
covers the trees in gold, you walk

                                                        towards me,
out of the season, out of the light love reasons.

© From 'Rapture' 2005 Picador