Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
T. Sturge Moore. b. 1870874. A Duet
‘FLOWERS nodding gaily, scent in air, | |
Flowers posied, flowers for the hair, | |
Sleepy flowers, flowers bold to stare——’ | |
‘O pick me some!’ | |
‘Shells with lip, or tooth, or bleeding gum, | 5 |
Tell-tale shells, and shells that whisper Come, | |
Shells that stammer, blush, and yet are dumb——’ | |
‘O let me hear.’ | |
‘Eyes so black they draw one trembling near, | |
Brown eyes, caverns flooded with a tear, | 10 |
Cloudless eyes, blue eyes so windy clear——’ | |
‘O look at me!’ | |
‘Kisses sadly blown across the sea, | |
Darkling kisses, kisses fair and free, | |
Bob-a-cherry kisses ‘neath a tree——’ | 15 |
‘O give me one!’ | |
Thus sand a king and queen in Babylon. |