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Title: Carmen
Author: Leigh Gordon Giltner [
More Titles by Giltner]
Night in Seville, and the twinkle
Of stars in the far azure set,
The mandolin's torturing tinkle,
The click of the castanet!
Music and wine and low laughter,
Love and a torment of tune--
Hate and a poignard thereafter,
Under the yellow moon.
Here in the night I await her,
Under the slumberous moon;
Yearns my fierce spirit to mate her--
All my sick senses aswoon
Beneath the wild sway of her dancing
Passion and pride are at war;--
Thrall to her amorous glancing,
Grandee and toreador.
Carmen Gitana, behold her!
Bright passion-flower of the South;
Soft Southern languors enfold her,
Scarlet the bloom of her mouth;
Passionate, sensuous, cruel,
Raying warm laughter and light,
A ruby--a scintillant jewel--
Set on the brow of the Night!
Ah, the wild rhythm of her dancing!
Lithe with the jaguar's grace,
Ah, the sweet fire of her glancing,
The love-litten lure of her face!
And ah, in my fierce arms to hold her
This strange scarlet flower of the South.
Close to my heart-beat to fold her
Drinking the wine of her mouth!
Sweet, thou art weary with dancing,
Sick of the music and light
Praises and overbold glancing--
Steal with me into the night;
Out of the riot of laughter,
Out of the torment of tune--
Love and close kisses thereafter
Under the sensuous moon!
Carmen, my fierce arms enfold thee,
Bright passion-flower of the South,
Close to my hot heart I hold thee,
Crushing the flower of thy mouth.
Love--for the loving that swayed me,
Passion--for passion long past--
Hate--for the hate that betrayed me ...
My dirk in your side at the last!
[The end]
Leigh Gordon Giltner's poem: Carmen
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