Poetry Friday I: This was a boys' (and girl's) day

Ice on the Round Pond
by Paul Dehn (1912-1976)

This was a dog's day, when the land
Lay black and white as a Dalmatian
And kite chased terrier kite
In a Kerry blue sky.

This was a boy's day, when the wind
Cut tracks in the sky on skates
And noon leaned over like a snowman
To melt in the sun.

This was a poet's day, when the mind
Lay paper-white in a winter's peace
And watched the printed bird-tracks
Turn into words.

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Paul Dehn was born in Manchester, England, and educated at Oxford. He was a film critic, playwright, award-winning screenwriter, and also published several books of poems, including The Day's Alarm and Romantic Landscape. Dehn won an Academy Award in 1951 for his first screenplay, the thriller Seven Days to Noon. He also wrote the screenplays for Goldfinger, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Murder on the Orient Express (for which he was nominated for his second Oscar), and several of the Planet of the Apes movies (Escape from..., Conquest of..., Battle for...).

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Susan over at Chicken Spaghetti volunteered for the week's round-up. Thanks, Susan!