Tension In The Mellowing

There’s a tension in the mellowing;
A striving in the firelight;
A beauty in the darkening air;
A gentleness in the autumn fury.

Aging love, steadfastly kept,
Is still a thriving, broad-shouldered youth.
Well-worn hearts are entwined in ivy,
Bursting with berried, passionate joys.

These ancient days of soft caresses
Are forceful in the dying day,
And aching limbs still spring with happy desire
In the meeting of dear flesh on flesh.

Mouths still slide and tongues still dance,
Energised at intimate tastes,
And though the sun sinks beyond the stars’ horizon,
The embers of deep longing grow hotter.

Bursting into flame, the bonfire still scorches,
And sings beneath the harvest moon.
And in the autumn of two lovers’ lives,
Their fire leaps forests and endless dreams.

For just as the year must come to pass,
And fruits must weigh the branches heavy,
Delight in one and in the other
Is rooted to the universe.

For seeds are sown from lovers’ lives,
A smile, a kiss, a longing tear.
And though one day humanity forgets them,
The sun and moon will tell their tale to the stars and weep with their joy.