“Queen of the Black Coast” Robert E. Howard

  Pencils by John Buscema Inks by Ernie Chan

The shadows were black around him, 

The dripping jaws gaped wide, 

Thicker than rain the red drops fell; 

But my love was fiercer than Death's black spell, 

Nor all the iron walls of hell 

Could keep me from his side. 

—The Song of Bêlit.

Now we are done with roaming, evermore; 

No more the oars, the windy harp's refrain; 

Nor crimson pennon frights the dusky shore; 

Blue girdle of the world, receive again 

Her whom thou gavest me. 

—The Song of Bêlit.

[from “Queen of the Black Coast”; to read the complete poem, see The Collected Poetry of Robert E. Howard, p. 48;Always Comes Evening , p. 68 and Robert E. Howard Selected Poems , p. 435]