Love and Relationships, poem by poem

All 15 poems. What happens, in a line. Then each one in five words.

A man remembers a break-up in silence. Years later, her name still hurts.

Silent break-up still hurts

Everything in nature pairs up, the poet says. So kiss me.

Nature pairs up; kiss me

A man strangles his lover with her hair so she will stay his. He sits with her all night.

Lover strangles her to keep her

She cannot stop thinking about him. When he is near she does not need to.

Thoughts of him grow like vines

A couple stand by a grey pond as their love dies. He never forgets the pond.

Love dies by grey pond

A man writes to a woman from his garden. She lives in a city. They are far apart.

Letters cross the icy miles

A farmer marries a young girl. She runs. They catch her. She fears him. He wants her.

Farmer's young bride fears him

A father watches his son walk away after a football match. Letting go is love.

Father lets his son go

An old man sees his dead parents at a picnic, young again, waiting for him.

Dead parents wait across stream

A boy follows his father's plough. Now the father follows him.

Son follows father, then swaps

A mother holds a tape measure while her son measures his new home. The tape runs out.

Tape measure runs out; son leaves

Duffy looks at a photo of her mother, young and laughing, before she was born.

Mother's life before the baby

A couple walk by a lake after a fight. They watch swans. Their hands join.

Swans bring couple's hands together

A shopkeeper closes early to be with his new wife. They watch the moon over the shop.

Shopkeeper closes early for love

A child climbs his grandfather like a mountain, from shoes to head, and rests on top.

Child climbs grandfather like mountain