War Drums (Scharkie)/Desires

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4651513War Drums — DesiresLouis Edward Scharkie
DESIRES.
Oh for a dip in the Sea of Stars,[1]
And the sound of a Ramah's rune!
Oh for a peep in a Harem's bars,
And a bed on the Mounts of the Moon![2]

Oh for a wind that would waft me away
To the lovely gardens of bloom,
Where the flower nymph knelt by the banks of Kathay
And a rainbow flashed over the flume!

Oh for a loll on delectable dells
Where the Peris were tuning their lutes,
When the Scourge of the Deevs rose up from the wells,
And dashed through the garden of fruits!

Oh for a shallop to bear me afar
To the Pool of Music and Song,[3]
That the eye may see where the happy are,
And the weary soul grow strong.

Ah! the far, far seas where our hearts must grope
Ever muffle their lips for me,
Till a golden dawn light a boundless hope,
And daybreak shine over the sea

Oh for the heart of a rose-red dawn
Girt with purple and gold afar;
For a single hope that will burn unworn
Like the light of a single star!

  1. The source of the river Whango.
  2. Mounts of Gumr.
  3. The Miraculous well at Mecca.