The One White Hair

Walter Savage Landor (1775–1864)

THE WISEST of the wise

Listen to pretty lies,

And love to hear them told;

Doubt not that Solomon

Listened to many a one,—

Some in his youth, and more when he grew old.

I never sat among

The choir of Wisdom’s song,

But pretty lies loved 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 Landor! I am quite

Bewildered with affright;

I see (sit quiet now!) a white hair on your head!”

Another, more benign,

Drew out that hair of mine,

And in her own dark hair

Pretended she had found

That one, and twirled it round.—

Fair as she was, she never was so fair.