I wrote Autumn Again in 1986, 18 years old. Just as summer leads to autumn, so does girlhood give way to womanhood. Autumn embodies the true passion of Nature. Compare this poem to Woman – 1 (1982) which describes a woman’s desire.
The autumn trees
Shed their leaves
I shed my girlish emotions –
The trees moult into new form
I moult into the woman I am to be
They take on hues of gold, red and rust
My passion is the colour of blood.
I am aglow with my own fires.
Cold winds blow as a reminder of winter
And so does sanity remind me of reason
Interrupting my womanly reverie of man
Yet I am warm
Warmed by a long summer of girlhood.
I am ready to shed my leaves
Of inhibition
Denial and
Pain –
Before the winter sets in my soul
Turning my desire into barren stillness
I do not desire the white purity of snow –
I am the soul of autumn
Filled with secret passion.
I rise and fall on the winds of my desires
Changing, always changing
Never still, never at peace –
I desire not the peace of winter
I desire the turbulence of autumn
I desire the full expression of my sex
And to shed the leaves of hypocrisy.
Vanita Shukla Hork, 1986
If you liked this poem, you will enjoy my book Memories from another Lifetime: Desire. Available on Amazon, free on KindleUnlimited. Please do leave a review.
My goodness Vanita, that is so powerful in the way a volcano is ready to erupt. Our feelings and emotions are time limited for how they they can be kept in check.
Thank you so much, Steve 🙏🙏🙏 And that is indeed the case!
Agree with Steve, this captures the evolution and eruption into time-bound peaks and troughs of sexual maturity, with the always present awareness and backdrop of sensibility and inhibitions.
Thank you so much, John, that is very insightful indeed 🙏🙏
Hello Vanita, thanks SO much for sharing your Beautiful Words, I really enjoyed reading them 💯% Take care ~ Barry from the UK!
Thank you so much, Barry, I’m so happy you liked the poem! Take care 🙏🌷