34 
CONTRA CONJUGIUM T. B. B. 
 
A fetish foul, a devil’s lie, 
And worshipped that ?  Thou shalt not mock, 
Thou barren rock ! 
 
“ Thou shalt not mock !  Cold Chastity, 
Father and child of Impotence, 
Whom thou hast set on high for me, 
From her foul shrine shall chase thee thence : 
‘ Avoid, get hence ! ’ 
 
“ And I—thou shalt not scorn my word, 
All Nature sets its scorn on thee ; 
Sweet flower and stream, swift fish and bird, 
Shall chorus out ‘ Thou fruitless tree ! 
Thou salt dry sea ! ’ 
 
“ I will not aid thee in thine age, 
Nor heed thee in thy piteous strait ; 
Live thou in thine own empty cage, 
Forged every day that thou didst wait 
Too long, too late ! 
 
“ Shall I turn back the seasons past, 
Recall sun’s shine and cloudlet’s fleece,