Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition

Hélas! (Author: Oscar Wilde)

p.139

1. • 1] TO drift with every passion till my soul
     2] Is a stringed lute on which all winds can play,
     3] Is it for this that I have given away
     4] Mine ancient wisdom, and austere control?
     5] Methinks my life is a twice-written scroll
     6] Scrawled over on some boyish holiday
     7] With idle songs for pipe and virelay,
     8] Which do but mar the secret of the whole.
   • 9] Surely there was a time I might have trod
     10] The sunlit heights, and from life's dissonance
     11] Struck one clear chord to reach the ears of God:
     12] Is that time dead? lo! with a little rod
     13] I did but touch the honey of romance—
     14] And must I lose a soul's inheritance?