A fool there was and he made his prayer <br /> (Even as you and I!) <br />To a rag and a bone and a hank of hair <br />(We called her the woman who did not care), <br />But the fool he called her his lady fair <br /> (Even as you and I!) <br /> <br />Oh the years we waste and the tears we waste <br /> And the work of our head and hand, <br />Belong to the woman who did not know <br />(And now we know that she never could know) <br /> And did not understand. <br /> <br />A fool there was and his goods he spent <br /> (Even as you and I!) <br />Honor and faith and a sure intent <br />But a fool must follow his natural bent <br />(And it wasn't the least what the lady meant), <br /> (Even as you and I!) <br /> <br />Oh the toil we lost and the spoil we lost <br /> And the excellent things we planned, <br />Belong to the woman who didn't know why <br />(And now we know she never knew why) <br /> And did not understand. <br /> <br />The fool we stripped to his foolish hide <br /> (Even as you and I!) <br />Which she might have seen when she threw him aside -- <br />(But it isn't on record the lady tried) <br />So some of him lived but the most of him died -- <br /> (Even as you and I!) <br /> <br />And it isn't the shame and it isn't the blame <br /> That stings like a white hot brand. <br />It's coming to know that she never knew why <br />(Seeing at last she could never know why) <br /> And never could understand.<br /><br />Rudyard Kipling<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-vampire-2/
