Linnet

"The Power of Weakness"


Knowing that I
am the cause of my sorrows,
Loving a man
whom I have pushed away--
I cannot but regret my former scorn;
I cannot but bemoan my thoughtless judgment.

For it was my pride,
my haste to overlook his worth,
that drove him to my sister.
Oh maidens, look and see--
a quick tongue and a haughty eye
will earn you pain.

Sorrow with me, you warrior-maidens,
steel yourselves, you queens of might--
know that we will never gain our desire.
The cruel, sarcastic twist of life is this:
that those who wield their power self-sufficient
will ever be forced to yield to weakness.

For it becomes obvious
that men who rise to spar with us
are worthless knaves at heart.
Those gentle knights to whom our souls incline
shrink in horror from our cruelty, preferring
those whose bland eyes never flash with anger.