 | [Poems by Cary in] The poems of Alice and Phoebe Cary with introduction and notes |  |
BURNING THE LETTERS.
I said that they were valueless,—
I 'd rather have them not,—
All that since made them precious
Was, or should have been, forgot;
I would do it very willingly,
And not because I ought,—
But I did not, somehow, find it
Quite so easy as I thought.
I 'd rather have them not,—
All that since made them precious
Was, or should have been, forgot;
I would do it very willingly,
And not because I ought,—
But I did not, somehow, find it
Quite so easy as I thought.
One was full of pleasant flattery;—
I do not think I'm vain,
And yet I paused a moment
To read it once again.
One repeated dear, old phrases
I had heard a thousand times;
I had read him once some verses,
And another praised my rhymes.
I do not think I'm vain,
And yet I paused a moment
To read it once again.
One repeated dear, old phrases
I had heard a thousand times;
I had read him once some verses,
And another praised my rhymes.
427
Once was just exactly like him,—
Such a pretty little note!
One was interspersed with poetry
That lovers always quote.
I don't know why I read them
Unless 't was just to know,
Since they once had been so precious,
What had ever made them so.
Such a pretty little note!
One was interspersed with poetry
That lovers always quote.
I don't know why I read them
Unless 't was just to know,
Since they once had been so precious,
What had ever made them so.
I had told him when we parted,
To think no more of me;
And I'm sure he 's nothing to me,—
Indeed, why should he be?
Yet the flame sunk down to ashes,
And I sat and held them still;
But I said that I would burn them,—
And, some other time, I will!
To think no more of me;
And I'm sure he 's nothing to me,—
Indeed, why should he be?
Yet the flame sunk down to ashes,
And I sat and held them still;
But I said that I would burn them,—
And, some other time, I will!
| [Poems by Cary in] The poems of Alice and Phoebe Cary with introduction and notes | |