The Little Prince and The Little Princess

Source: medium.com

For Edna St. Vincent Millay  

On the seventieth anniversary of her death

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

And Edna St. Vincent Millay,

Fly-by-night and day by day,

Met upon an asteroid

In the starry sunless void.

Said he, in English, “I like your verse –

Ce n’est pas mal.”

“It could be worse.

I’m just a gal

Who can’t say Non

To life, to love, to poetry,

To wine, to women, and to men.

What’s your name? Tell me again.”

“I’m the Little Prince. And You?”

“I am the winner

(in nineteen hundred and twenty-three)

Of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

What do you think of that?” said she.

“Make me a sonnet, here and now,

Entwining our sainted names somehow.”

She tossed one off, just like that, and he

Said, “Oh, marry me, je vous en pris.”

“Not so fast, get off your knees.

You know I’ll do just as I please.

Let’s wait and see – let’s wait and see.”

 And there they wait, eternally.

Eric Jensen, SJ, works in the Spiritual Exercises ministry at Loyola House, Guelph, Ontario. He also paints and writes. He is the author of Entering Christ's Prayer (Ave Maria Press, 2007)and Ignatius Loyola and You (Novalis 2018).

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7 Comments
  • Caroline Maloney
    Posted at 02:17h, 27 October Reply

    Beautiful! Thank you for the Sweet new take on The Little Prince! Always a favourite!

  • Sharon Walters
    Posted at 09:47h, 27 October Reply

    Beautiful, whimsical!

  • Peter Bisson
    Posted at 11:42h, 27 October Reply

    Thank you Eric!

  • Grace Colella
    Posted at 13:20h, 27 October Reply

    Beautiful!

  • olga protz
    Posted at 13:39h, 27 October Reply

    So fun Eric, some light on this rainy day. Thank you!

  • Alice Konefall
    Posted at 13:11h, 05 November Reply

    Great piece Eric! The “Little Prince” is one of my favs, & now I have a “Little Princess” too. Thank you!

  • Magdalena Randal
    Posted at 07:10h, 06 November Reply

    Thanks for this, Eric. I recognize the voice you are channeling…

Post A Reply to Magdalena Randal Cancel Reply

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