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From a Very Little Sphinx Lyrics by Edna St. Vincent Millay

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I
Come along in then, little girl!
Or else stay out!
But in the open door she stands,
And bites her lip and twists her hands,
And stares upon me, trouble-eyed:
" Mother, " she says, " I can't decide!
I can't decide! "
II
Oh, burdock, and you other dock,
That have ground coffee for your seeds,
And lovely long thin daisies, dear —
She said that you are weeds!
She said, " Oh, what a fine bouquet! "
But afterwards I heard her say,
" She's always dragging in those weeds. "
III
Everybody but just me
Despises burdocks. Mother, she
Despises 'em the most because
They stick so to my socks-and drawers.
But father, when he sits on some,
Can't speak a decent word for 'em.
IV
I know a hundred ways to die.
I've often thought I'd try one:
Lie down beneath a motor truck
Some day when standing by one.
Or throw myself from off a bridge —
Except such things must be
So hard upon the scavengers
And men that clean the sea.
I know some poison I could drink.
I've often thought I'd taste it.
But mother bought it for the sink,
And drinking it would waste it.
V
Look, Edwin! Do you see that boy
Talking to the other boy?
No, over there by those two men —
Wait, don't look now — now look again.
No, not the one in navy-blue;
That's the one he's talking to.
Sure you see him? Striped pants?
Well, he was born in Paris, France.
VI
All the grown-up people say,
" What, those ugly thistles?
Mustn't touch them! Keep away!
Prickly! Full of bristles! "
Yet they never make me bleed
Half so much as roses!
Must be purple is a weed,
And pink and white is posies.
VII
Wonder where this horseshoe went.
Up and down, up and down,
Up and past the monument,
Maybe into town.
Wait a minute. " Horseshoe,
How far have you been? "
Says it's been to Salem
And halfway to Lynn.
Wonder who was in the team.
Wonder what they saw.
Wonder if they passed a bridge —
Bridge with a draw.
Says it went from one bridge
Straight upon another.
Says it took a little girl
Driving with her mother.
Credits
Edna St. Vincent Millay

Edna St. Vincent Millay

About “From a Very Little Sphinx” by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Read the complete lyrics to "From a Very Little Sphinx" by Edna St. Vincent Millay. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"From a Very Little Sphinx" is performed by Edna St. Vincent Millay. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "From a Very Little Sphinx", explore more songs by Edna St. Vincent Millay using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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"From a Very Little Sphinx" is credited to Edna St. Vincent Millay. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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