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
high-end home cleaning Morton Grove ..The Goat and the Ropewhere there were devils I saw... Read More
Advance: Mr. Dennis Siluk's poetry can have its fire-hearted twists:... Read More
The Incubus' Flash-lightHe looked inside my head And found a... Read More
On through the darkness she searches the bones Seeking the... Read More
The Torrents of HellHell's furnace- Likened to a chimney Vomits... Read More
Ed Gallagher Dec. 11, 1907 - Sept. 5, 2004This poem... Read More
"Song of the Great Zimbabwe"Across the African, winter's skyIn the... Read More
When I am climbing up, you are stepping down. When... Read More
Writing poetry is an art, a way of expression, finding... Read More
Ocean Heal MeOcean heal my wounds Let your waves curl... Read More
Contract of DeathI heard today, the preacher say: "Daniel has... Read More
Amy King's first full-length collection, Antidotes for an Alibi, insists... Read More
She raised me like I was her own daughter from... Read More
Footprints to Mantaro Valley (Peru; in English and Spanish)In what... Read More
LIFE IS A FANTASY!A pink-eyed rabbit, fuzzy whiteHops in bedrooms... Read More
Ah! Leave the gold, wealth and landSays the Inca King?;... Read More
When I hear your voice inside my head it makes... Read More
You cannot make someone love you. All you can do... Read More
Hammers. Timbers. Iron. Steel.They're laying down a mighty keel.As ant-like... Read More
In this modern age of technology, busy lifestyles, and obsession... Read More
Little girl from HuancayoDo you really, really know? Just how... Read More
Grandpa's House [The ole Real House]The house needed painting Sun-blistered... Read More
Ode to Quetzalc?atlQuetzalc?atl the GreatNo one knew his true name,... Read More
There I sat, ninety-five degree weatherOutside; the bookstore caf?, was... Read More
House of the Goblin [Part Two of Three]Here is where,... Read More
spring cleaning service Buffalo Grove ..You speak simple, completley understandable justifications I respect them, respect... Read More
Poetry is more than just rhyming and prose that is... Read More
So many looked to you for inspiration,Unlikely hero for the... Read More
Ded?cate to Antonio Castillo. L. Of. Los Andes UniversitarioOde to:The... Read More
The Goat and the Ropewhere there were devils I saw... Read More
Black Blood, in Jeremiah's Vines [A Dream Poem]And I heard... Read More
You can do and you can be whatever you want.... Read More
Sorry would be a start.Though you cant take back your... Read More
You've been writing poetry since that first assignment in your... Read More
The following two poems, one in English, the other in... Read More
Have you ever experienced infatuation with someone you know is... Read More
Since Mohamed Ali?then Cassius Clay?announced that he had written "The... Read More
Asha of DarfurCry, cry-oh little Darfur woman For your sister... Read More
One of the most important poets of the post-war period,... Read More
now is not the time to open open that great... Read More
Delicately, my mind was selecting a muffled tune, out of... Read More
You can show your poem to your mom, your spouse,... Read More
It's dark, it's cold, its' just six thirty,thoughts of sleep... Read More
Happy, Sad, Mad and Glad, Moved in down the streetCautious... Read More
1)dying in the bar [sluggishly]yet, I would crawl too upto... Read More
Blind DesignsBorn today, gone tomorrow Like a butterfly with no... Read More
Stone Beds [Pompeii's surge]Advance: after the great eruption of Pompeii's... Read More
Twilight, was now beginning. As forthe sun, it was down-down... Read More
The Epic Poem:A Death in Cajamarca, Peru [Atahualpa, in Cajamarca]Advance:... Read More
The Poet's Corner [Three poem/ see review of poetry under... Read More
Poetry |