The mad girl with the staring eyes and long white fingers
Hooked in the stones of the wall,
The storm-wrack hair and screeching mouth: does it matter, Cassandra,
Whether the people believe
Your bitter fountain? Truly men hate the truth, they'd liefer
Meet a tiger on the road.
Therefore the poets honey their truth with lying; but religion-
Vendors and political men
Pour from the barrel, new lies on the old, and are praised for kindly
Wisdom. Poor bitch be wise.
No: you'll still mumble in a corner a crust of truth, to men
And gods disgusting-you and I, Cassandra.
Cassandra
Robinson Jeffers
(1)
Poem topics: believe, girl, hair, hate, people, poor, tiger, wisdom, fountain, white, wise, religion, long, wall, honey, storm, mouth, corner, bitter, matter, Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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Jennifer: Well I couldn't be more wrong. I have been searching for a poem I read in passing over 20 years ago. The line I remembered was "Alas, poor bitch", and I thought it was the first line, and I thought the poet was Canadian.
This poem was worth finding again though -- I'm right about that much. Too funny that 2020 is the year it resurfaces.
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