Mythology & Folklore
A Sphinx
From The Inalienable Heritage, and Other Poems (1914)
What are your thoughts, wild Dreamer from of old?
Who shall foreknow thy dark and devious way?
What hand dare limn in colours grey or gold
The close-furled puzzle of thine unborn day?
As in its first chill early glimmering morn
Some simple prophet cons the coming year,
Tells all its warm days, measures tear by tear
Its rainfall--and is laughed by it to scorn!--
So we by you, oh green and sea-worn sphinx,
Loved so profoundly, named of many names,
Heart-breaking goal of he that loves, that thinks,
Founded on treasons, sorrows, glories, shames!
Cite this poem
MLA
Lawless, Emily. “A Sphinx.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/lawless/19/.
Chicago
Lawless, Emily. “A Sphinx.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/lawless/19/.
Read this poem with the Codex →