I met the Bishop on the road
And much said he and I.
'Those breasts are flat and fallen now,
Those veins must soon be dry;
Live in a heavenly mansion,
Not in some foul sty.'

'Fair and foul are near of kin,
And fair needs foul,' I cried.
'My friends are gone, but that's a truth
Nor grave nor bed denied,
Learned in bodily lowliness
And in the heart's pride.

'A woman can be proud and stiff
When on love intent;
But Love has pitched his mansion in
The place of excrement;
For nothing can be sole or whole
That has not been rent.'

Added: Feb 20 2003 | Viewed: 3790 times | Comments (0)

Poet: William Butler Yeats
Poem: Crazy Jane Talks With The Bishop
Volume: The Winding Stair and Other Poems
Year: Published/Written in 1933
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