Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy
Valentine
Carol Ann DuffyNot 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.
MARGINALIA
Happy birthday to me, I guess. Another year over. Another year gone. I’m twenty. I feel so new.
Here’s one of my favourite poems ever.
ABOUT CAROL ANN DUFFY
On December 23, 1955, Carol Ann Duffy was born in Glasgow, Scotland to Mary Black and Frank Duffy, both of Irish Catholic descent. Together with her four younger brothers, she was raised in Staffordshire in the West Midlands of England where her father worked as a fitter with English Electric. Duffy’s books of poetry include: New & Collected Poetry for Children (Faber and Faber, 2009); Rapture (Macmillan, 2006); Selected Poems (Penguin, 2004); Feminine Gospels (2002);… (more)
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ENDNOTES
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h.n
Carol Ann Duffy is one of my favourite poets. You should post some more of her works (Havisham, Salome, Before you were mine)…maybe. I definately agree with you Valentine is one of the best poems.