The Penitent by Edna St Vincent Millay
I had a little Sorrow,
Born of a little Sin,
I found a room all damp with gloom
And shut us all within;
And, “Little Sorrow, weep," said I,
“And, Little Sin, pray God to die,
And I upon the floor will lie
And think how bad I’ve been!”
Alas for pious planning—
It mattered not a whit!
As far as gloom went in that room,
The lamp might have been lit!
My Little Sorrow would not weep,
My little Sin would go to sleep—
To save my soul I could not keep
My graceless mind on it!
So up I got in anger,
And took a book I had,
And put a ribbon on my hair
To please a passing lad,
And, “One thing there’s no getting by—
I’ve been a wicked girl," said I;
“But if I can’t be sorry, why,
I might as well be glad!”
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Prosodia is a daily podcast dedicated to historical notes and poems, hosted by Karim El Azhari. Welcome!
All show notes are heavily recycled from old The Writer's Almanac archives. May that podcast rest in peace (it was Karim's favorite).
All poems are public domain or submitted by the author for use on the show.
Intro and outro music by Chillhop Records. They are amazing!
