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 Turning my garden plot to barren mire; Oh death-struck love, oh disenkindled fire, Oh vanity of vanities, desire! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE OLD CHURCHYARD OF BONCHURCH by PHILIP BOURKE MARSTON THE LOST PLEIAD by WILLIAM GILMORE SIMMS BILL SWEENY OF THE BLACK GANG by JAMES BARNES THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING by LOUISA SARAH BEVINGTON LOVE'S GREETING by KATHERINE B. BUSHLEY DEARTH by VIRGINIA RICHARDS CASABONA A DREAM by PATRICK REGINALD CHALMERS THE LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN: 2. THE LEGEND OF THISBE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER |