SONNETTOAFRIEND

sonnettoafriend

(endof1796)

friendofmyearliestyearsandchildishdays,

myjoys,mysorrows,thouwithmehastshar'd

companiondear,andwealikehavefar'd

(poorpilgrimswe)thro'life'sunequalways.

itwereunwiselydone,shouldwerefuse

tocheerourpathasfeatlyaswemay,

ourlonelypathtocheer,astrav'llersuse,

withmerrysong,quainttale,orroundelay;

andwewillsometimestalkpasttroubleso'er,

ofmerciesshewn,andalloursicknessheal'd,

andinhisjudgmentsgodrememb'ringlove;

andwewilllearntopraisegodevermore,

forthosegladtidingsofgreatjoyreveal'd

bythatsoothmessengersentfromabove.

toayounglady

(early,1797)

hardistheheartthatdoesnotmeltwithruth,

whencaresits,cloudy,onthebrowofyouth;

whenbittergriefsthefemalebosomswell,

andbeautymeditatesafondfarewell

toherlov'dnativeland,prepar'dtoroam,

andseekinclimesafarthepeacedeniedathome.

themuse,withglanceprophetic,seesherstand

(forsaken,silentlady)onthestrand

offarthestindia,sick'ningattheroar

ofeachdullwave,slowdash'dupontheshore;

sending,atintervals,anachingeye

o'erthewidewaters,vainly,toespy

thelong-expectedbark,inwhichtofind

sometidingsofaworldsheleftbehind.

atsuchatimeshallstartthegushingtear,

forscenesherchildhoodlov'd,nowdoublydear.

atsuchatimeshallfranticmem'rywake

pangsofremorse,forslightedengland'ssake;

andforthesakeofmanyatendertie

oflove,orfriendship,pass'dtoolightlyby.

unwept,unhonour'd,'midstanalienrace,

andthecoldlooksofmanyastrangerface,

howwillherpoorheartbleed,andchidetheday,

thatfromhercountrytookherfaraway.