Home ⇒ 📌Elinor Wylie ⇒ Nadir
Nadir
If we must cheat ourselves with any dream,
Then let it be a dream of nobleness:
Since it is necessary to express
Gall from black grapes to sew an endless seam
With a rusty needle chase a spurious gleam
Narrowing to the nothing through the less
Since life’s no better than a bitter guess,
And love’s a stranger let us change the theme.
Let us at least pretend it may be true
That we can close our lips on poisonous
Dark wine diluted by the Stygean wave;
And let me dream sublimity in you,
And courage, liberal for the two of us:
Let us at least pretend we can be brave.
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