EpistleToJamesSmith

epistletojamessmith

friendship,mysteriouscementofthesoul!

sweet'neroflife,andsolderofsociety!

iowetheemuch—blair.

dearsmith,theslee'st,pawkiethief,

thate'erattemptedstealthorrief!

yesurelyhaesomewarlock-brief

owrehumanhearts;

forne'erabosomyetwasprief

againstyourarts.

forme,iswearbysunan'moon,

an'ev'rystarthatblinksaboon,

ye'vecostmetwentypairo'shoon,

justgauntoseeyou;

an'ev'ryitherpairthat'sdone,

mairtaeni'mwi'you.

thatauld,capriciouscarlin,nature,

tomakamendsforscrimpitstature,

she'sturn'dyouoff,ahumancreature

onherfirstplan,

andinherfreaks,onev'ryfeature

she'swrotetheman.

justnowi'veta'enthefito'rhyme,

mybarmienoddle'sworkingprime.

myfancyyerkitupsublime,

wi'hastysummon;

haeyealeisure-moment'stime

tohearwhat'scomin?

somerhymeaneibor'snametolash;

somerhyme(vainthought!)forneedfu'cash;

somerhymetocourtthecountraclash,

an'raiseadin;

forme,anaimineverfash;

irhymeforfun.

thestarthatrulesmylucklesslot,

hasfatedmetherussetcoat,

an'damn'dmyfortunetothegroat;

but,inrequit,

hasblestmewitharandom-shot

o'countrawit.

thiswhilemynotion'staenasklent,

totrymyfateinguid,blackprent;

butstillthemairi'mthatwaybent,

somethingcries“hooklie!”

iredyou,honestman,taktent?

ye'llshawyourfolly;

“there'sitherpoets,muchyourbetters,

farseeningreek,deepmeno'letters,

haethoughttheyhadensur'dtheirdebtors,

a'futureages;