THE VAMPIRE

THE VAMPIRE

A fool there was and he made his prayer

( even as you and I )

To a rag and a bone and a hank of hair

( we called her the woman who did not care )

But the fool he called her his lady fair-

( even as you and I )

Oh, the years we waste and the tears we waste

And the work of our head and hand

Belong to the woman who did not know

( And now we know that she never could know )

And did not understand !

A fool there was and his goods he spent

( Even as you and I )

Honor and faith and a sure intent

( And it wasn’t the least what the lady meant )

But a fool must follow his natural bent

( Even as you and I )

Oh, the toil we lost and the spoil we lost

And the excellent things we planned

Belong to the woman who didn’t know why

( And now we know that she never knew why )

And did not understand !

The fool was stripped to his foolish hide

( Even as you and I )

Which she might have seen when she threw him aside-

( But it isn’t on record the lady tried )

So some of him lived but the most of him died-

( Even as you and I )

And it isn’t the shame and it isn’t the blame

That stings like a white hot brand-

It’s coming to know that she never knew why

( Seeing, at last, she could never know why )

And never could understand !

                                                    Rudyard Kipling 1897