Unexpected melodies

An unexpectedly chilly night
At the start of summer
Windy
Noisy
With the dry leaves
Running around
Chattering away
As they ride the balmy waves.

Then a faint sound
Of a stranger on the road
Singing a melodious tune
The voice
Beautiful
As he pedals against the
Balmy waves.

And the dry leaves
Stay quiet for a moment -
Listening.

The more loving one

If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.

- W H Auden



Thanks to Alexander McCall Smith for the discovery of these beautiful lines.