Among thy trees, which in a ROW
The thee both fruit and order OWE.
What open force, what hidden CHARM
Can blast my fruit, or bring me HARM
While the inclosure is thine ARM?
Inclose me still for fear I START.
Be to me rather sharp and TART,
Than let me want thy hand and ART.
When thou dost greater judgments SPARE,
And with thy knife but prune and PARE,
Ev'n fruitful trees more fruitful ARE.
Such sharpness shows the sweetest FRIEND:
Such cuttings rather heal than REND:
And such beginnings touch their END.
--George Herbert (1593-1633), from Garden Poems, 1996
No comments:
Post a Comment