Monday, October 10, 2005

You

by Carol Ann Duffy

Uninvited, the thought of you stayed too late in my head.
so I went to bed, dreaming you hard, hard, woke with your name,
like tears, soft, salt, on my lips, the sound of its bright syllables
like a charm, like a spell.

Falling in love
is glamorous hell: the crouched, parched heart
like a tiger, ready to kill; a flame’s fierce licks under the skin.
into my life, larger than life, you strolled in.

I hid in my ordinary days, in the long grass of routine,
in my camouflage rooms. You sprawled in my gaze,
staring back from anyone’s face, from the shape of a cloud,
from the pining, earth-struck moon which gapes at me

as I open the bedroom door. The curtains stir. There you are
on the bed, like gift, like a touchable dream.



******************************************************************************
This is the first poem that I've read of Britain's poet Carol Ann Duffy and it's amazing!! I will definitely be stopping by a bookstore soon!
The painting was from a Florence art gallery. Unfortunately I don't have the artist's name.

Hopefully we all have someone waiting for us on the other side of the door; either someone we know by heart or someone we are about to meet. keep your heart open :)

27 comments:

Pirate said...

beautiful. Your words and imagines are devine.

mermaid said...

Good advice, and loved this poem. Also loved the sensuality of the picture.

stella said...

oh lorena, what a gift! thank you for sharing the poem and lovely photo with us! such a sensual and sweet combination for this semi-holiday columbus day!

Sue hardy-Dawson said...

One of my favourite poets, always very meaty poems, great that you have found her. Love the picture too

gP said...

...'like a touchable dream'.

Very nice and well written. Very meaningful.

rhein said...

wow, that is amazing poetry. i think i'm off to the book store as well. i might even have to take a line from it and use as a caption for a post.

gulnaz said...

what a lovely poem, thanks lorena!!
and the artwork is fitting too!

sirbarrett said...

Thanks for the hope of a heart held open. It is a lovely dark poem reminding me of the way a presence can stick to you, and how you can be drawn by an inescapeable attraction to it. Even when your mind wanders, it still seems to incline towards that certain someone, who you are always longing to find.

Gel said...

Powerful and entrancing. Thank you for sharing!! This goes on my list to check out at the libary.
(The only way I could comment here was through my blogspot account, but I have more serious writing here: http://SilkenThreads18.blog.com, where I write as "SilverMoon."

- litol figgy - said...

oh wow! i think i just feel in love with her poetry. the imagery and use of words are amazing. thanks for sharing this. :)

DeCoMpOsEd said...

the right person actually holds the key to open your heart.

{illyria} said...

and that is just fantastic. it's enough to get me smiling through this day. thank you, darling lorena.

Paul said...

I think the artist's first name may be Fanny.

Russell CJ Duffy said...

great post.
great poem.
great picture
great poet and a great discovery too.
all in all . . .
GREAT!

:) said...

nice poetry :) i like b/w photos a lot too :)

Lorena said...

vpirate :: these are not my words (i wish) but i'm glad you like it!

mermaid :: thanks :) now i have to take my own advice.

stella :: i'm glad you liked it. i definitely love readin this poem out loud.

sue hardy-dawson :: thanks :) i'm glad to have found her as well.

ghost particle :: i know i love that line too!

rhein :: cool. guess we will be doing the same thing!

gusgreeper :: you are lucky :)

gulnaz :: thanks. it's the image that came to mind when i read this.

sirbarrett :: some of us just love to exist in longing but it does get tiring after awhile. to be free is to no longer have such desires. i wish i was free!! :)

green-eyed lady :: i'm glad you liked it. entrancing is a perfect word for it. i've already linked that site. thanks for letting me know.

rain :: your poetry is just as amazing to me as this one :)

nate :: yeah, "it's when you're not looking" thanks for visiting.

decomposed :: yeah, our soul mate. accept how many copies are there of the key to my heart?

transience :: glad it made you smile :) as your writing does for me.

paul :: i think you might be right :) LOL (for a second i thought you were serious, i was slow on this, see i admit it!!

cocaine jesus :: well thanks, i guess i did a great job :)

josh :: cool. that is my fav as well.

mystique :: no when it comes to that expression, i'm okay with it because i agree, IT IS!!! :)

potted flower :: turn out the best??

Jaxe said...

That is so intense. I love the way the poet describes love:

Falling in love
is glamorous hell: the crouched, parched heart
like a tiger, ready to kill


WOW! Crouched, parched heart... do you thing our hearts are really silent predators, waiting to pounce on a willing victim? Intersting description. I love it.

Have a great weekend bella!

j

Lorena said...

hi jaxe!!
me too, that was my favorite "falling in love is glamorous hell" perfectly said!

i think sometimes our hearts are ready to kill love but i think it stems from fear, i can relate to this.
you really made me look at this closely, thanks :) i see so much more in it now.

hope you have a great weekend as well :)

Anonymous said...

lovely poem and painting!tnx for sharing it with us lorena :)

DeeM said...

Wow, thanks Lorena! I love both the pome and pic.
Really really great! :)

Unknown said...

that's a lovely painting. the poem is paired with it very appropriately.

Karthik L G said...

Hi Lorena, Its been a long time since I was here.
Nice painting that one, U have that in ur house? it wud be awsome to take some nudes on the lines od it.
Iv got a post which may be of some interst , do chk it out

Karthik :)

Brood Mode said...

the poem and the picture combine to evoke a deep sensuality. i really have to read this poet too

Moon River said...

Hi Lorena,

I loved Carol Ann Duffy as well, and i send you a poem of hers il ove.
i love the way you observe reality -there for - your photos are always breath taking.
Words, Wide Night

Words, Wide Night
Somewhere on the other side of this wide night
and the distance between us, I am thinking of you.
The room is turning slowly away from the moon.

This is pleasurable. Or shall I cross that out and say

it is sad? In one of the tenses I singing
an impossible song of desire that you cannot hear.

La lala la. See? I close my eyes and imagine
the dark hills I would have to cross
to reach you. For I am in love with you and this

is what it is like, or what it is like in words.

-CAROL ANN DUFFY

Lorena said...

finnegan :: that is true, wow. very perceptive.

eden :: glad you liked it :)

potted flower :: ok :)

deem :: glad you liked them both!

cracked chancla :: thanks :)

karthik :: hi, no this was in a gallery. glad you dropped by again. will visit your place soon!

gangadhar :: thanks :)

brood mode :: i know, i think its the sensuality as a whole that really draws me in.

moon river :: THANK YOU for sharing this poem, I LOVED IT :) i am seriously going to get the book today after reading this one. it's beautiful. thanks again!!!

Mariposatomica said...

Lorena, this is now on my Amazon wish list! I LOVE THIS POEM. Life imitates art sometimes I guess. Love the painting. Wish I could examine it up close. You made me want to go to the Art Institute. Swing by el Tanguis this weekend. I promise to have a bottle of wine in my purse; See blog.

Lorena said...

hi mariposa, i'm glad you liked it. i'm definitely enjoying her poetry. thanks for letting me know of this event. i hope to make it! *bottle of wine in your purse!* LOL :)