Poems (Strong)/John, A Sonnet
JOHNA SonnetDec. 16, 1905
A manly form beside me walks,But no—not walks—he eke must soar;With old-world bards he lives and talks,And stores his mind with worth-while lore.And yet, in sooth, no dreamer he,But Bayard without sign of fear;He yearns to make the captive freeAnd guards the weak with sword and spear.And when to battle all must go,He charges foremost on the sward;He stands a victor o'er his foe,Then, generous, gives him back his sword. Let all who read, delighted, learn The subject of these lines is John.