Say, why should I sing of an angel of light When my heart is aflame with the fires of earth; When the girl I adore is a sprite of the night— Just a child of the flesh in a garment of mirth? Away with conventional praises, and such! To the thrill of her kiss will I fashion my song; To the passionate glance of her eyes and the clutch Of her beautiful arms, so insistent and strong! To the maid of my dreams, when to dream is to live With the red pulse resistlessly making the pace, Will I drain this ripe cup of my wishes, and give The whole of my soul for a single embrace? Nay, lisp me no words of a love that is calm, Of devotion that feeds upon cereal food; 'T is the hypocrite's song, and I long for the psalm Of my dear when she calls in her amorous mood. You will find her, I know, in the drawing-room's glare, Where she poses, immaculate, sexless and wise, Save for the red glow that burns low in her hair And the imperious gleam of her glorious eyes. But, at last, when the flight of the dance is at best, Ah! Then will I hold her, and mold her, and tease; And she 'll tremble and glow like the rose at her breast— Like an ardent red rose in a tropical breeze! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ETERNITY BLUES by HAYDEN CARRUTH THE LITANY OF THE DARK PEOPLE by COUNTEE CULLEN THE LAMP OF LIFE by AMY LOWELL O GLORIOUS FRANCE by EDGAR LEE MASTERS SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: TOM MERRITT by EDGAR LEE MASTERS |