Meeting Midnight

Story

One moonlit evening, I bumped into Midnight herself, wearing a long, dark-blue raincoat, and I followed her down to the riverbank. When the town clock struck twelve, Midnight paused. On the bridge stood a girl dressed in purple: One o’clock. The two ran to each other, and Midnight wept as they kissed, knowing that soon they would have to part.

Why we chose it

A magical and haunting poem from a highly acclaimed and hugely popular poet.

Where it came from

Carol Ann Duffy (b.1955) is an acclaimed Scottish poet, playwright, and professor, born in Glasgow. She has written extensively for both adults and children, and her poetry’s popularity rests on its capacity to be both accessible and sharply intelligent. Duffy identifies as a lesbian, and often her witty work has strong feminist or LGBTQ+ elements. The magical Meeting Midnight presents a kiss between two women as nothing remarkable. The poem was originally published in a small collection of the same name, with illustrations by Quentin Blake.

Where it went next

Duffy is one of Britain’s foremost and most popular poets, having won countless awards, been featured on the school curriculum, and held the position of poet laureate from 2009 – 2019. She was the first woman to be appointed to the role in 400 years.

Associated stories

Duffy has written many other poetry collections for both children and adults. Her works for children include The Gift (2010), The Hat (2007) and New and Collected Poems for Children (2009). Her major collections for adults include Mean Time (1993) and The World’s Wife (1999). She has also edited several anthologies and rewritten well-known tales by the Brothers Grimm in Grimm Tales, which is intended for older children and young adults who are studying drama or English.