Stories

Stories

Herbert Asquith

Herbert Asquith

Herbert Asquith

Herbert Asquith

When lights are out and Pat’s in bed,He tells a story from his headOf men who fight by sea and landWith cutlasses in either hand.Who make their mouths into a sheathAnd sharpen dirks upon their teeth;And schooners heeling to the breezeThat blows across the coral seas,With kegs of rum and bars of goldAnd corpses rolling in the hold.Then far below the dining-roomPours out its voices: through the gloomBorne on tobacco-laden airThe roar of talk comes up the stair,But where are now the coral seasAnd where is Pat? Lost on the breezeWith streaming flag the schooner fadesAnd takes her captain to the shades.

When lights are out and Pat’s in bed,He tells a story from his headOf men who fight by sea and landWith cutlasses in either hand.Who make their mouths into a sheathAnd sharpen dirks upon their teeth;And schooners heeling to the breezeThat blows across the coral seas,With kegs of rum and bars of goldAnd corpses rolling in the hold.Then far below the dining-roomPours out its voices: through the gloomBorne on tobacco-laden airThe roar of talk comes up the stair,But where are now the coral seasAnd where is Pat? Lost on the breezeWith streaming flag the schooner fadesAnd takes her captain to the shades.

When lights are out and Pat’s in bed,He tells a story from his headOf men who fight by sea and landWith cutlasses in either hand.Who make their mouths into a sheathAnd sharpen dirks upon their teeth;And schooners heeling to the breezeThat blows across the coral seas,With kegs of rum and bars of goldAnd corpses rolling in the hold.Then far below the dining-roomPours out its voices: through the gloomBorne on tobacco-laden airThe roar of talk comes up the stair,But where are now the coral seasAnd where is Pat? Lost on the breezeWith streaming flag the schooner fadesAnd takes her captain to the shades.

When lights are out and Pat’s in bed,

He tells a story from his head

Of men who fight by sea and land

With cutlasses in either hand.

Who make their mouths into a sheath

And sharpen dirks upon their teeth;

And schooners heeling to the breeze

That blows across the coral seas,

With kegs of rum and bars of gold

And corpses rolling in the hold.

Then far below the dining-room

Pours out its voices: through the gloom

Borne on tobacco-laden air

The roar of talk comes up the stair,

But where are now the coral seas

And where is Pat? Lost on the breeze

With streaming flag the schooner fades

And takes her captain to the shades.


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