The Frail Side of Hatred

You live like a great beast,
led by the nose,
cowardly and pitiable —
a pitiful slave.

I pity you, plainly and profoundly,
and it pains me beyond measure,
because I am not used to such a feeling,
because it was never meant to belong to me.

This is another matter,
another kind of longing:
it is called solicitude.

Have you ever truly felt solicitude for anyone?
Solicitude is an exquisite thing —
not so sharp as anger,
not so heavy as pain.