Another poet I encountered on my travels
I dedicate this poem to Tatjana, my Valentine, because I first read Duffy’s book of poems called Rapture while sitting in Luis’ orange chair in Madrid – Luis, Tatjana’s friend, who also is a poet and has an apartment full of books, mostly by poets, and this book Rapture, which began with love grabbed me from the getgo and the poems throughout grew so intense and fiery but alas, the last poem ended with sorrow and aloneness and made me put the book down almost in horror and I said to myself, that is not our book of love.
But I did remain haunted by her intense love poems all the same.
So I found another one of her poems:
Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy
Not a red rose or a satin heart.
I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.Here.
It will blind you with tears
like a lover.
It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.I am trying to be truthful.
Not a cute card or a kissogram.
I give you an onion.
Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
possessive and faithful
as we are,
for as long as we are.Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,
if you like.Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
cling to your knife.