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Tom MacInnes - The Tiger of Desire
Oct. 5th, 2013 05:46 pmVillanelle
Starving, savage, I aspire
To the red meat of all the World :
I am the Tiger of Desire!
With teeth bared, and claws uncurled,
By leave o' God I creep to slay
The innocent of all the World.
Out of the yellow glaring day,
When I glut my appetite,
To my lair I slink away.
But in the black returning night
I leap resistless on my prey,
Mad with agony and fright.
The quick flesh I tear away,
Writhing till the blood is hurled
On leaf and flower and sodden clay.
My teeth are bared, my claws uncurled,
Of the red meat I never tire;
In the black jungle of the World
I am the Tiger of Desire!
Returning to the Oxford Book of Canadian Verse, and a slightly frenetic reflection on tigers. Rraww. Bet you I know what Mr MacInnes' favourite pop song would be were he not dead.
Starving, savage, I aspire
To the red meat of all the World :
I am the Tiger of Desire!
With teeth bared, and claws uncurled,
By leave o' God I creep to slay
The innocent of all the World.
Out of the yellow glaring day,
When I glut my appetite,
To my lair I slink away.
But in the black returning night
I leap resistless on my prey,
Mad with agony and fright.
The quick flesh I tear away,
Writhing till the blood is hurled
On leaf and flower and sodden clay.
My teeth are bared, my claws uncurled,
Of the red meat I never tire;
In the black jungle of the World
I am the Tiger of Desire!
Returning to the Oxford Book of Canadian Verse, and a slightly frenetic reflection on tigers. Rraww. Bet you I know what Mr MacInnes' favourite pop song would be were he not dead.