Burning Autumn Leaves
[1950s in St. Paul, Minnesota]
My long steel pointed rake punctured
And twisted through tons of autumn leaves
(back in the '50s);
And there's a hill yet, I didn't rake, I see
Behind it, two embankments
Leaves I didn't rake a day ago;
The essence of fall sleeps on the ground.
I love the scent of burning leaves:
I seem to dream of them nowadays.
I cannot shake the excitement I get
From the sight and smells of burning leaves.
Now the city will not allow the burning,
Not sure what can take its place-:
Only wishful thinking and dreaming, I think.
But every leaf that now appears, in autumn
I keep hearing the cracking of the fire; see
The flickering-flames of burning leaves; I
Can even smell--the autumn leaves of long ago.
I have had too much of raking leaves, I do believe-.
I'm now old and tired, too tired to rake those hills;
Yet raking I still desire, not sure why.
There were a thousand days I raked, back then
Held in hand, the rake that struck the earth-
Spiked, into its dirt-capturing those critters (leaves)
Like thieves-: thieves sleeping.
This tiredness of mine will never go away, I fear
It's called aging, or something, so I will have to find
Another place, to smell the burning autumn leaves;
And perhaps, perchance, do just a ting of raking:
Before the long, long, very long sleep.
#771 7/24/05
In Spanish
Hojas ardientes de oto?o (Los a?os de 1950 en St. Pa?l. Minnesota)
Mi rastrillo de acero largo y puntiagudo pinch?
Y dio vuelta a trav?s de toneladas de hojas
(Atr?s en los a?os 50);
Y hay una colina a?n, que no rastrill?, yo veo
Detr?s de esto, dos terraplenes
De hojas que yo no rastrille hace un d?a;
La esencia del oto?o dormir? sobre el piso.
Me gusta la esencia de las hojas ardiendo;
Yo parezco so?ar con ellas estos d?as.
No puedo sacudirme el entusiasmo que consigo
De la vista y los olores de quemar hojas:
Ahora la ciudad no permitir? quemar,
No seguro de qu? puede tomar lugar-:
Solo el optimismo pensando y so?ando, Pienso
Pero cada hoja que ahora aparece, en oto?o
Yo sigo oyendo el crujir del fuego; veo
El parpadear de las llamas de hojas ardiendo; yo
Puedo a?n oler- las hojas de oto?o de hace tiempo.
He tenido demasiado rastrillando hojas, Yo creo-
Ahora yo estoy viejo y cansado, demasiado cansado
para rastrillar esas colinas;
Aun rastrillando y todav?a deseando, no seguro ?por qu??
Hubo miles de d?as que rastrill?, atr?s entonces
Sosteniendo en la mano, el rastrillo que golpeo la tierra-
Claveteando, dentro de su suciedad- capturando aquellos
bichos (hojas)
Como ladrones-: ladrones durmiendo.
Este cansancio m?o no se ir? jam?s, yo temo
Esto es llamado envejecimiento o vejez, entonces yo tendr?
que encontrar
Otro lugar, para oler las hojas ardiendo en oto?o;
Y talvez, la posibilidad, de hacer justo un intento de rastrillar:
Antes de largo, largo, muy largo sue?o.
#771 7/24/05
Poet Dennis Siluk http://dennissiluk.tripod.com
housekeepers near Park Ridge ..What can I do to keep this world in its... Read More
Four Poems: Katrina's PathwayHarvest of Apoplectic Horses ((Dedicated to: Katrina))... Read More
Real Power.One Tsunami, and all our armies, Seem belittled by... Read More
Poet Stephen B. Wiley's first book of poetry, Hero Island,... Read More
Mother's Day Poetry,I'm Sorry Mom!I'm sorry for the troubles ... Read More
The Poet's Corner [Three poem/ see review of poetry under... Read More
Azra, Azra, Wake up Azra. Wake up Azra, It is... Read More
Ed Gallagher Dec. 11, 1907 - Sept. 5, 2004This poem... Read More
Footprints to Mantaro Valley (Peru; in English and Spanish)In what... Read More
The light of all eternity shines with me now /... Read More
In Poetry: Meaning of WordsWhen I write poetry, I check... Read More
The Incubus' Flash-lightHe looked inside my head And found a... Read More
The funeral rite concluded With the pastor shaking hands, Offering... Read More
Our home was warm in the shade of the trees... Read More
Rhymes of an Ordnance Man [Vietnam War: 1971]An eleven part... Read More
"Song of the Great Zimbabwe"Across the African, winter's skyIn the... Read More
Since my wife and I are moving, or preparing to... Read More
House of the Goblin [Part Two of Three]Here is where,... Read More
A poetic comment that just welled up inside my head... Read More
Here is some witty poetry (not sure if that is... Read More
Charlotte Bronte (1816 ?1855) Novelist and Poet.Charlotte was the daughter... Read More
I cannot bear to think of when you will be... Read More
I Shall Wait..On all the new mornings, and every singking... Read More
Have you ever thought about how nice it would be... Read More
So many looked to you for inspiration,Unlikely hero for the... Read More
scheduled cleaning services Mundelein ..Advance: in Mr. Siluk's poetry one finds symbolist values, sensuous... Read More
Note: written after seeing the little adobe 16th century church... Read More
Key Largo:The fans turn lazily in front of the doorThey... Read More
Ah! Leave the gold, wealth and landSays the Inca King?;... Read More
In early fall, in Minnesota, the rain falls, falls, In... Read More
I AM SO GRATEFUL for simpler times. Stores were closed... Read More
The Epic Poem:A Death in Cajamarca, Peru [Atahualpa, in Cajamarca]Advance:... Read More
Black Blood, in Jeremiah's Vines [A Dream Poem]And I heard... Read More
There I sat, ninety-five degree weatherOutside; the bookstore caf?, was... Read More
Lord Byron's opening couplet to "She Walks In Beauty" is... Read More
You can do and you can be whatever you want.... Read More
My life has changedin so so many waysIt seems to... Read More
Our home was warm in the shade of the trees... Read More
You've been writing poetry since that first assignment in your... Read More
Learn about love by reading poetry by a long dead... Read More
Have you ever experienced infatuation with someone you know is... Read More
Part One Midget HistoryI am thirty-six inches tall, that is... Read More
"Beautiful Dreamer" was written by Stephen Foster just before his... Read More
[Episode Five]Arizona Blue-GunfighterThe Wolves Nest-in the North[Episode Five]Northern Minnesota Area?Winter... Read More
Iquitos & the Amazon Part OneIt was December 2, l959,... Read More
My eyes opened. I am still alive; Living on... Read More
I can see the cerulean blue of the skiesOr the... Read More
To many non-specialists of literature, poetry is deeply unsatisfying. There... Read More
Sorry would be a start.Though you cant take back your... Read More
So many looked to you for inspiration,Unlikely hero for the... Read More
Poetry |