Poems (Strong)/John, A Sonnet
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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 free
And 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.
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 free
And 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.