Vain Beauty

Vain Beauty written by William Henry Davies

Nature Poems (1908)

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Ah, what is Beauty but vain show -
If nothing in the heart is sweet;
As oft the spider finds a moth -
All wings and little meat.

Thy look as warm as Autumn's is,
As false - both he and thou art cold;
Then, since thou art unkind and vain,
Let thy true worth be told.

Worms form thy flesh, and 'tis that flesh
Makes thee so beautiful to see;
When dying thou refuse them food,
They'll help themselves to thee.

Thy laugh was falser than men make
Ere they in dreadful battle fall;
I found thee false, thy looks deceived
Like short men that sit tall.

Beauty can make thy two lips red -
But not thy voice sound soft and sweet;
Beauty made thy cheeks smooth, but gave
Thine eyes no pleasant heat.

I see thee move like a vain horse
Whose neck is arched to his knee;
His head will soon drop there through age -
And age will so bend thee.

Age with his frost will warn thee soon,
And pinch and mark thee here and there;
Will dry thy lip, and dim thine eye,
And pull out thy long hair.

The flowers that spread their charms too far
Must soon be served like common weeds;
With my respect love also died -
No longer my heart bleeds.

This work is in the public domain in countries where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.