From Poetry Foundation, this classic by John Donne (I believe the underlying work is public domain):
Batter my heart, three person’d God; for, you
As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow mee,’and bend
Your force, to breake, blowe, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurpt towne, to’another due,
Labour to’admit you, but Oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in mee, mee should defend,
But is captiv’d, and proves weake or untrue.
Yet dearely’I love you,’and would be loved faine,
But am betroth’d unto your enemie:
Divorce mee,’untie, or breake that knot againe;
Take mee to you, imprison mee, for I
Except you’enthrall mee, never shall be free,
Nor ever chast, except you ravish mee.
I know that the old English makes it difficult to read, but there is immense wisdom in the intentional contradictions in the words…
This poem has not only come to mind today, but whenever I hear this great song by JJ Heller:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3BDYBGhSgI&w=480&rel=0]
And here is a great live version too:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5Hd211fJOw&w=480a&rel=0]
UPDATE 8/29/2026: Previous link to post didn’t work correctly; changed to Poetry Foundation. I did not check to see if the wording and punctuation is exactly the same.