Sonnet 129 : Lust, An Intense Longing

SONNET 129

The expense of spirit in a waste of shame
Is lust in action; and till action, lust
Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame,
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust,
Enjoy'd no sooner but despised straight,
Past reason hunted, and no sooner had
Past reason hated, as a swallow'd 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.

Sonnet 129 Lust, An Intense Longing
Laijon Liu 2012.07.09

Ah, Lust, how we comprehend and define?
This old enemy, a slave ruler of body and soul.
Hormone, odors, warm sap and boiling milk
Breasts, muscles, soft trembling, contracting firm
Youth fairness beguile, old prudent ones set traps
Yet two-minute happy pride leads to lifetime strive
Kings and Queens hold on their crowns and thrones
Emperors, Pharaohs design their pyramids and high wall
Heroes die by their name; ministers bow to receive fame
Traders convert all thing to coins, miners dig gold
And all the world always hunger, never fulfilled
Invade! Ravage! Possess! Control! Unrest! Invest!
    In this we are born, and this cancer we die;
    And our future like we, scavenge present in dream.

Note:
Sonnet 66, 91, 112, 129 are some related about the Bard’s society, our society, and all society, as long as men do exist on earth these four sonnets are the eternal statement, especially #66 and #129, there are reasons I love these two poems: boldly rant truth, natural flow of thoughts and emotion, less academic composing work involved. I believe #129 is not about human natural sexual unrestraint desire, but a spiritual sin, “the expense of (spirit) in a waste of shame” and following line 3, 4, 10, 12, 13, 14. And I have an English dictionary that provides two meanings for word of Lust: sexual desire; intense longing. Like some pop song raps “Get Rich, Die Trying…” like Adam and Eve lust for the wisdom fruit, rulers lust for kingdom, talented artists musicians poets lust for fame, politicians lust for their purpose and name, business men lust for money and profit, religious leaders lust for their own interpretation and control, young girls want beautiful dress and shoes, kids want candy… like men feel the stong urge about women, we all lust, lust for good, lust for happiness, lust for fulfillment, lust for success, but

“All this the world well knows; yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.”