ONCE, when I was young and true,
Someone left me sad—
Broke my brittle heart in two;
And that is very bad.
Love is for unlucky folk,
Love is but a curse.
Once there was a heart I broke;
And that, I think, is worse.
From Enough Rope (Boni & Liveright, 1926) by Dorothy Parker. This poem is in the public domain.