#5: Sonnet 129 - “Th' expense of spirit in a waste of shame” by William Shakespeare

Th' expense of spirit in a waste of shame  

Is lust in action; and till action, lust  

Is perjured, murd'rous, bloody, full of blame,  

Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust,  

Enjoyed no sooner but despisèd straight,  

Past reason hunted; and, no sooner had  

Past reason hated as a swallowed bait  

On purpose laid to make the taker mad;  

Mad in pursuit and in possession so,  

Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;  

A bliss in proof and proved, a very woe;  

Before, a joy proposed; behind, a dream.  

All this the world well knows; yet none knows well  

To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.  

.....  

Episode: https://robertwalker.blog/pod5