Trade Winds

By John Masefield

In the harbour, in the island, in the Spanish Seas,

Are the tiny white houses and the orange-trees,

And day-long, night-long, the cool and pleasant breeze

Of the steady Trade Winds blowing.

There is the red wine, the nutty Spanish ale,

The shuffle of the dancers, the old salt's tale,

The squeaking fiddle, and the soughing in the sail

Of the steady Trade Winds blowing.

And o' nights there's fire-flies and the yellow moon,

And in the ghostly palm-trees the sleepy tune

Of the quiet voice calling me, the long low croon

Of the steady Trade Winds blowing.

From SALT WATER POEMS AND BALLADS, edited by John Masefield, published by The MacMillan Co., NY, © 1921, p. 54; first published in SALT-WATER BALLADS, © 1902.