A Memory of June
Claude McKay 1889 (Clarendon Parish) – 1948 (Chicago)
When June comes dancing o'er the death of May,
With scarlet roses tinting her green breast,
And mating thrushes ushering in her day,
And Earth on tiptoe for her golden guest,
I always see the evening when we met--
The first of June baptized in tender rain--
And walked home through the wide streets, gleaming wet,
Arms locked, our warm flesh pulsing with love's pain.
I always see the cheerful little room,
And in the corner, fresh and white, the bed,
Sweet scented with a delicate perfume,
Wherein for one night only we were wed;
Where in the starlit stillness we lay mute,
And heard the whispering showers all night long,
And your brown burning body was a lute
Whereon my passion played his fevered song.
When June comes dancing o'er the death of May,
With scarlet roses staining her fair feet,
My soul takes leave of me to sing all day
A love so fugitive and so complete.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 03, 2023
- 49 sec read
- 183 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | Abab cdcd efef ghgh Aiai |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 882 |
Words | 161 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"A Memory of June" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/6837/a-memory-of-june>.
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