“Pain bids cry out but Honor bids be dumb.”

The above quote is by my poet-of-the-moment, Algernon Swinburne. First, in a book about an erotic 1930’s engraver, I fell in love with these lines of his from Hymn of Proserpine

I am sick of singing; the bays burn deep and chafe; I am fain
To rest a little from praise and grievous pleasure and pain.

Then I found out that a book of Swinburne's erotic SM poetry has been illustrated by one of my favorite artists, Donna Barr. Further research revealed that he was considered quite obscene in his day. It just keeps getting better! Off to the library tomorrow.

Another maddeningly idyllic day here in New Zealand, off to a barbecue tonight.