Eros from Book One by Mary Hampton

Last night I dreamed a man came in
He looked as my first lover had
He sat himself beside the bed
And his face was so sad.

His hair was thick and full of dust
And for a while he made no sound
But stared with splendid, fiery eyes
As strange moths flew round.

He looked at me, he spoke to me,
And little shocks made my fingers sting,
The room was filled with the smell of cloves
And each word did ring
And each word did ring.

"Remember me, when love first came?
I took a bottle from the shelf.
You drank a draught and how you laughed!
You forgot yourself."

He poured a glass up to the brim,
He held it out against the moon.
"Do you not long to lose yourself
Here in this room?

Here's to the drink that leaves you thirsty
And here's to the thirst that finds the well
And here's to the bliss of falling down it
Which no tongue can tell
Which no tongue can tell
Which no tongue can tell."

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And when I woke in the light of day
I recalled the line of my lover's back;
I would not drink and he took his leave
But come back, come back.
Come back, love, come back!
Come back, love,
Come back.

• Folk
• art song
• chamber music
• experimental folk
• folksong
• lo-fi
• Rotherham