A lovely offering from My First Book of Poems, “Tartary” was a favorite poem of
my son Alex when he was very small. Read it aloud and taste its rhythmic beauty:

Tartary

If I were Lord of Tartary,
Myself and me alone,
My bed should be of ivory,
Of beaten gold my throne;
And in my court should peacocks flaunt,
And in my forests tigers haunt,
And in my pools great fishes slant
Their fins athwart the sun.

If I were Lord of Tartary,
Trumpeters every day
To all my meals should summon me,
And in my courtyards bray;
And in the evenings lamps would shine
Yellow as honey, red as wine,
While harp and flute and mandoline
Made music sweet and gay.

Walter De La Mare

“Their fins athwart the sun” — I just adore this line!