The Camel
T'was
in the dreary month of June,
When
desert sands are sweltering,
A
camel glimpsed the daylight moon,
O'er
the palm where he was sheltering,
And
looking up the camel sighed,
To
see such astral beauty glide,
On
horned and twisted clouds to ride,
Above
the desert sweltering.
It
seemed so close, this daylight moon,
That
even at its zenith height,
Climbing
up the tallest dune,
And
reaching out one just might,
Touch
its lovely shining face,
And
granted this one simple grace,
To
rise also and take one's place,
Above
the desert sweltering.
And
so this foolish camel sneaked,
Off
from the safe Oasis,
Not
caring that his rough coat reeked,
Or
his breath fumed halitosis,
He
searched to find a dune that rose,
Beyond
the orbit of the crows,
Up
where the astral river flows,
Above
the desert sweltering.
Now
you might think this camel's quest,
A
pea-brained bit of balderdash,
Like
Icarus and all the rest,
His
silly scheme was sure to crash,
Should
this young dromedary climb,
Some
mighty dune (which is no crime,
With
dreams inordinate and sublime,
Upon
his brain a-peltering).
At
last he spied a duneish bent,
Above
the hot mirages,
And
fearing not the steep ascent,
Nor
avalanche barrages,
Up
this dune, up to its apex,
As
though his legs were made of latex,
This
camel climbed inspired by pretext,
Above
the desert sweltering.
With
each step of his sturdy toes,
The
fickle sands receded,
But
step by step the camel rose,
'Til
he at last succeeded,
And
stood atop the mighty dune,
Gazing
on the daylight moon,
Like
Zoroaster stares at noon,
Above
the desert sweltering.
To
think, a camel such as he,
The
least among the caravan,
So
long of nose and knocked of knee,
So
conscience of his fear of man,
Should
climb up to these glittering heights,
To
dwell among those famous lights,
Who
care not whether days or nights,
Befall
the desert sweltering.
T'was
then he saw her, pale and pure,
Conversing
with some orb of splendor,
Which
made him feel like some great cur,
Some
fake, some mountebank contender,
T'was
then she spied him 'cross the strand,
Of
clouds, she beckoned with her hand,
"Join
us!" she laughed "O camel grand,
Who
trods the desert sweltering!"
He
tip-toed out with valiant nerve,
Un-kosher
and Unshaven,
Into
that void where comets swerve,
And
black holes find their haven,
He
stepped across a band of fleece,
As
thin as Ebeneezer's Niece,
A
highway for the swans and geese,
Above
the desert sweltering.
He
waved his forelegs in the air,
To
keep his balance stable,
And
slipping here, and sliding there,
He
found that he was able,
To
cross that breach both deep and wild,
To
where his day lit lady smiled,
As
though he were a wayward child,
Late
from the desert sweltering.
"Yoo
hoo!" she cried, "Hola! Haloo!
Ye
sundry orbs and various,
Let
me now introduce to you,
Camelus
dromedarius,
Without
an invitation he,
Of
low estate and pedigree,
Has
joined we orbs of high degree,
Above
the desert sweltering."
She
took him by the hoof to dance,
All
ringed with light and fire,
To
join the heavens in that trance,
Astrologers
admire,
And
like a dervish was his whirl,
His
nostrils flared, his pink lips curled,
That
dromedary swirled and swirled,
Above
the desert sweltering.
Dear
listener this tale you've heard,
Unfold
'cross bleak savannas,
By
now the thought may have occurred,
This
camel's gone bananas,
But
What if he snidely curls his lip?
Distaining
camel boys and whip?
But
does his work? Good Desert Ship!
Across
the desert sweltering.
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