53. Regret. Richard Le Gallienne. Modern British Poetry

Louis Untermeyer, ed. (1885–1977). Modern British Poetry. 1920.

Richard Le Gallienne. 1866–

53. Regret

ONE asked of regret,
And I made reply:
To have held the bird,
And let it fly;
To have seen the star	5
For a moment nigh,
And lost it
Through a slothful eye;
To have plucked the flower
And cast it by;	10
To have one only hope—
To die.