IV

I SHALL forget you presently, my dear,
So make the most of this, your little day, 
Your little month, your little half a year,
Ere I forget, or die, or move away,
And we are done forever; by and by
I shall forget you, as I said, but now,
If you entreat me with your loveliest lie
I will protest you with my favorite vow. 
I would indeed that love were longer-lived,
And vows were not so brittle as they are, 
But so it is, and nature has contrived
To struggle on without a break thus far,­
Whether or not we find what we are seeking
Is idle, biologically speaking.

Poet: Edna St. Vincent Millay
Poem: 4. I Shall Forget You Presently
Volume: A Few Figs From Thistles
- Four Sonnets
Year: Published/Written in 1921
Poem of the Day: Aug 7 2005

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