“Take yourself by your nose”

 

“Take yourself by your nose”
It’s also called “Bird of self-knowledge”. 17th century

“Since Man first lifted up his eyes to hers
And saw her vampire beauty, which is lust,
All else was dust
Within the compass of the universe.
With heart of Jael and with face of Ruth
She sits upon the tomb of Time and quaffs
Heart’s blood and laughs
At all Life calls most noble and the truth.
The fire of conquest and the wine of dreams
Are in her veins; and in her eyes the lure
Of things unsure,
Urging the world forever to extremes.
Without her, Life would stagnate in a while.-
Her touch it is puts pleasure even in pain.-
So Life attain
Her end, she cares not if the means be vile.
She knows no pity, mercy or remorse.-
Hers is to build and then exterminate:
To slay, create,
And twixt the two maintain an equal course.”

—	“The Lust of the World” by Madison Cawein, from The Cup of Comus: Fact and Fancy, 1915