Conscience and Remorse

"Good-bye," I said to my conscience—
    "Good-bye for aye and aye,"
And I put her hands off harshly,
    And turned my face away;
And conscience smitten sorely
    Returned not from that day.

But a time came when my spirit
    Grew weary of its pace;
And I cried: "Come back, my conscience;
    I long to see thy face."
But conscience cried: "I cannot;
    Remorse sits in my place."

Credit

This poem is in the public domain. 

About this Poem

"Conscience and Remorse" appeared in The Collected Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1913).