But beauty is set apart, beauty is cast by the sea, a barren rock, beauty is set about with wrecks of ships....
– Hilda Doolittle, “The Islands”
The Ascetic’s Rhyme
Never look hard at a beautiful face,
Never read virtue into bright eyes,
Never place trust in her flesh and her grace—
All that is beautiful dazzles and lies.
Never surrender to golden-toned laughter,
Never take heed to a voice like a bell;
Never mark fairy flights, never chase after—
Fairness and light are the pathways to hell.
Darkness and gloom are the means to forgetfulness,
Silence and solitude comfort the heart—
Dabbling in romance will lead to regretfulness,
Yielding to pleasure will tear you apart.
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