The Innocent Ill

Though all thy gestures and discourses be

Coin’d and stamp’d by modesty;

Though from thy tongue ne’er slipp’d away

One word which nuns at th’ altar might not say;

Yet such a sweetness, such a grace,

In all thy speech appear,

That what to th’ eye a beauteous face,

That thy tongue is to th’ ear:

So cunningly it wounds the heart,

It strikes such heat through every part,

That thou a tempter worse than Satan art.

Though in thy thoughts scarce any tracks have been

So much as of original sin,

Such charms thy beauty wears as might

Desires in dying confess’d saints excite:

Thou, with strange adultery,

Dost in each breast a brothel keep;

Awake all men do lust for thee,

And some enjoy thee when they sleep.

Ne’er before did woman live,

Who to such multitudes did give

The root and cause of sin, but only Eve.

Though in thy breast so quick a pity be,

That a fly’s death ‘s a wound to thee;

Though savage and rock-hearted those

Appear, that weep not ev’n Romance’s woes;

Yet ne’er before was tyrant known,

Whose rage was of so large extent;

The ills thou dost are whole thine own;

Thou ‘rt principal and instrument:

In all the deaths that come from you,

You do the treble office do

Of judge, of torturer, and of weapon too.

Thou lovely instrument of angry Fate,

Which God did for our faults create!

Thou pleasant, universal ill,

Which, sweet as health, yet like a plague dost kill!

Thou kind, well-natur’d tyranny!

Thou chaste committer of a rape!

Thou voluntary destiny,

Which no man can, or would, escape!

So gentle, and so glad to spare,

So wondrous good, and wondrous fair,

(We know) ev’n the destroying-angels are.

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External links

Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus

Talking Writing Monster’s Page –

Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh

Poems in English 

• Lover’s Gifts XLVIII: I Travelled the Old Road by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts XLVII: The Road Is by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts XLIV: Where Is Heaven by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts XLIII: Dying, You Have Left Behind by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts XLII: Are You a Mere Picture by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts XL: A Message Came by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts XIX: It Is Written in the Book by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts XIII: Last Night in the Garden by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts VIII: There Is Room for You by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts V: I Would Ask For Still More by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts LXX: Take Back Your Coins by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts LVIII: Things Throng and Laugh by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts LIV: In the Beginning of Time by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts LII: Tired of Waiting by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts IV: She Is Near to My Heart by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lover’s Gifts II: Come to My Garden Walk by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lotus by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lost Time by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Lost Star by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
• Little Of Me by Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore

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Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

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