The One White Hair

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  THE WISEST of the wise
  Listen to pretty lies
  And love to hear them told;
  Doubt not that Solomon
  Listen’d to many a one,—  
Some in his youth, and more when he grew old.

  I never was among
  The choir of Wisdom’s song,
  But pretty lies lov’d I
  As much as any king,  
  When youth was on the wing,
And (must it then be told?) when youth had quite gone by.

  Alas! and I have not
  The pleasant hour forgot
  When one pert lady said,  
  “O Walter! I am quite
  Bewilder’d with affright!
I see (sit quiet now) a white hair on your head!”

  Another more benign
  Snipp’d it away from mine,  
  And in her own dark hair
  Pretended it was found…
  She leap’d, and twirl’d it round…
Fair as she was, she never was so fair!

© Walter Savage Landor