 | John Clare: The Midsummer Cushion |  |
187
TO CONTENT
Cheerful content thy home be mine
Do not my suit disdain
They who prefer the worlds to thine
Shall find it false & vain
From broken hopes & storms I fly
To hide me in thy peaceful sky
Do not my suit disdain
They who prefer the worlds to thine
Shall find it false & vain
From broken hopes & storms I fly
To hide me in thy peaceful sky
The flatterers meet with smiles
The cunning find their friends
Whoso without makes pilgrimage
Shall meet but small amends
As childern they who in the sun
Seek flowers in winter & find none
The cunning find their friends
Whoso without makes pilgrimage
Shall meet but small amends
As childern they who in the sun
Seek flowers in winter & find none
Some cringe to menial slaves
Some worship haughty power
Some bend the knee to knaves
The price of earthly dower
Which they who were not taught to pay
May see & empty turn away
Some worship haughty power
Some bend the knee to knaves
The price of earthly dower
Which they who were not taught to pay
May see & empty turn away
Earths pleasure is to flatter
Lifes love is but to hate
To praise what they in heart abuse
Alas in church & state
& whoso makes not this their game
Shall keep their wants & shun the shame
Lifes love is but to hate
To praise what they in heart abuse
Alas in church & state
& whoso makes not this their game
Shall keep their wants & shun the shame
Thus flattery findeth friends
In every grade & state
Thus telling truth offends
The lowly & the great
Yet truth at last shall bloom & rise
When flatterys folly fades & dies
In every grade & state
Thus telling truth offends
The lowly & the great
Yet truth at last shall bloom & rise
When flatterys folly fades & dies
Prides pomps are shadows all
Mere wealth is honours toys
Whose merits oft are small
Whose praise but empty noise
Rainbows upon the skys of May
Fade soon but scarce so soon as they
Mere wealth is honours toys
Whose merits oft are small
Whose praise but empty noise
Rainbows upon the skys of May
Fade soon but scarce so soon as they
188
Then sweet content thy home be mine
If sorrows should pursue
Thoult shake them from those smiles of thine
As morning does the dew
& as thoughts broken hopes decay
My heart shall struggle & be gay
If sorrows should pursue
Thoult shake them from those smiles of thine
As morning does the dew
& as thoughts broken hopes decay
My heart shall struggle & be gay
As hopes from earth shall dissapear
With thee I'll not despair
For thou canst look at heaven & hear
The vagrant calling there
& see her smile & sweetly see
The loss she met was gain to me
With thee I'll not despair
For thou canst look at heaven & hear
The vagrant calling there
& see her smile & sweetly see
The loss she met was gain to me
| John Clare: The Midsummer Cushion | |