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Ballade of Pot-Pourri


Once more the garden leaps in fire,
  1
  The lips of June how red, how red!
But the young rose of my desire
  Blooms in the garden of the dead;
  Nor will she raise her dreaming head
  5
For any song, how sweet it be—
  Flame on, ye flowers in glory spread!
Bring me my jar of pot-pourri.


With brimming cup and soaring spire,
  9
  Glows and smells sweet each garden bed;
The haughty tapestries of Tyre
  Never so many glories wed
  Into their pomp of royal thread;
  13
Nor ever yet hath honey-bee
  On such delirious nectar fed—
Bring me my jar of pot-pourri.


Lover, that, with enamoured lyre,
  17
  Love at thy side with aery tread,
Singest in this garden, to a quire
  Of answering angels overhead,
  Long be it ere thy joy be sped!
  21
Here is no fairer flower than she;
  Yet mine a lovelier thing instead—
Bring me my jar of pot-pourri.


    ENVOI

Prince of Life's Garden, hear it said:
  25
  However rare thy rose—shall be
More rare her hoarded petals shed:
  Bring me my jar of pot-pourri.







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