Description
Edward Carpenter published this poem in praise of queer desire in his an anthology Towards Democracy.
Text
Sun burning down on back and loins, penetrating the skin, bathing their flanks in sweat,
Where they lie naked on the warm ground, and the ferns arch over them,
Out in the woods, and the sweet scent of fir-needles
Blends with the fragrant nearness of their bodies;
In-armed together, murmuring, talking,
Drunk with wine of Eros' lips,
Hourlong, while the great wind rushes in the branches,
And the blue above lies deep beyond the fern-fronds and fir-tips;
Till, with the midday sun, fierce scorching, smiting,
Up from their woodland lair they leap, and smite,
And strike with wands, and wrestle, and bruise each other,
In savage play and amorous despite.
Page numbers in original volume
284
Citation
Poetry Nook. "Classic Poem." Poem: Summer Heat by Edward Carpenter. Routledge: An Imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, May 2004. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.