Poems (Rossetti, 1901)/Sœur Louise de la Miséricorde
SŒUR LOUISE DE LA MISÉRICORDE.
(1674.)
I HAVE desired, and I have been desired; But now the days are over of desire, Now dust and dying embers mock my fire;Where is the hire for which my life was hired? Oh vanity of vanities, desire!
Longing and love, pangs of a perished pleasure, Longing and love, a disenkindled fire, And memory a bottomless gulf of mire,And love a fount of tears outrunning measure; Oh vanity of vanities, desire!
Now from my heart, love's deathbed, trickles, trickles, Drop by drop slowly, drop by drop of fire, The dross of life, of love, of spent desire:Alas, my rose of life gone all to prickles,— Oh vanity of vanities, desire!
Oh vanity of vanities, desire; Stunting my hope which might have strained up higher, Turning my garden plot to barren mire;Oh death-struck love, oh disenkindled fire, Oh vanity of vanities, desire!