A Man Young and Old

I. First Love

...
She smiled and that transfigured me
And left me but a lout,
Maundering here, and maundering there,
Emptier of thought
Than the heavenly circuit of its stars
When the moon sails out.

* * *

Unless the woman-figure here is a metaphor for something other than a real-life lover, like inspiration or something just as solipsistic, I don't agree with its proposition. I've been "emptier of thought" since I stopped thinking about Asshole #1, and I know this because the quality of my blog has taken a plunge recently. I hate for that to happen, I want each post to be better than the one before it! And so I quote. (Too bad they can't all be Andrew WK.)

Would I rather be miserable again? Never, never, never, never, never. It's better this way.

* * *

V. The Empty Cup

A crazy man that found a cup,
When all but dead of thirst,
Hardly dared to wet his mouth
Imagining, moon-accursed,
That another mouthful
And his beating heart would burst.
October last I found it too
But found it dry as bone,
And for that reason am I crazed
And my sleep is gone.