The Bear

 

32.  THE BARON FOR SHAMEFASTNESS HIDETH
HIS DESIRE WITHIN HIS FAITHFUL HEART

The hung heart that is my sonneteer,
And yet more wrung doth keep its residence,
Into the pit encourages sentence
Of banneret community severe.
You wonder how I love and suffer –
I settle no trust, by jurisprudence.
For fame of nerve, guile, and more so grievance,
Also, stalwartness is poor measure.

Wherewith my heart, my disposal, deny,
Leaves less worthwhileness, less faith to comply,
Still, I am resident and have not appeared –
What may I do, for no desire is cleared?
As our proposal where I live and die,
(Consummate) I want truthfully.

33.  THE BARON WAXETH WISER,
AND WILL NOT DIE FOR AFFECTION

Yet was I never of your love relieved,
Nor ever shall – meanwhile my life doth last –
But of baiting this bear that date has past,
And fears continual sore have me worried,
I shall not in these bones be buried,
Nor on my tomb a name to fix fast.
(For in truth, might make the spirit soon haste
From the unhappy man, and then ghost-stirred).

Then if your heart of unyielding faith and will
Content your mind, without ten doing mischief,
Pleases it me so to this my relief;
If otherwise you seek to fulfil
A hate, you err, and shall not as you ween,
And you, yourself, the cause thereof not been.

34.  THE ABUSED BARON SEETH HIS FOLLY,
AND INTENDETH TO TRUST NO MORE

Whereas this file is not completely filed,
To file this file was always my intent,
And I am like a filing instrument,
To file this plain, though I have not smiled
At purpose, hath at folly reviled –
So, pardon me, since life somehow misspent
From former ties, I would so soon repent,
And so, file well, my task is not derided.

I brought the case at unmade expense,
Since, receipt is never devoid of bull,
To try to live and learn, somehow bearable,
The wherewithal to ask for subsequence,
To file plainly, yet howsoever,
A folding back is plain forever.
 

35.  THE BARON DESCRIBETH HIS BEING
STRICKEN WITH SIGHT OF HIS LOVE.

And I’m the brig! An incubator’s mind,
Beneath those wide-eye bulbs, some florescence,
Has swallowed a morsel – effervescence.
Was never man so? I could but go blind,
That put those sparks in time, in pursuance,
But behold us ourselves – that’s some presence.
A life or more? As I must seek and find,
Weather, if somewhere, was low thundering.

How much did gather? I see it did there.
So, I call for help. I know not, how, where.
The pain of eggs cracking is some hearing,
And straight after report, a little frightening,
To accumulate warmth – storms, and lightning –
Beneath my covers, I poke out peering.

36.  THE WAVERING BARON WILLETH,
AND DREADETH TO MOVE HIS DESIRE.

But good thoughts his exploits now bring to me,
No wanton hopes, by a coarse man, propose,
Delays us our company. To hear a groan
In answering him, whom our troth bids us spree,
He grabbed me fast for noble novelty,
And after us, my loins did fain compose,
The villagers – their way shall now bait anon –
Twixt work and rest, taking a liberty.

Yet they won’t say, under the smart I know,
Little of ruth, that for some quiet nook,
That comforted the mind, that forbearing shook –
And not against purpose – I seek a way how
To keep up my mead and am slow on the foot
And such as it is, I sully the boot.

37.  THE BARON HAVING DREAMED ENJOYING OF HER LADY,
COMPLAINETH THAT THE DREAM IS NEITHER LONGER NOR TRUER.

Braiding up this dream, and leaving no trace,
By steadfast love, or else dreams are not true,
Untasted sleep woke me up to rue,
The sudden toss of that false, feigned place,
Without breakfast, for such a hopeless grace,
Shall bring not you into these most barren leas,
But makes a life no miss, a care might decrease,
Those winds in no condition to embrace.

A dead body, that the bear did so require,
Tameless was that hour, no other has his sight –
Why then, alas, shall nightmares see my plight!
And thus, I return to the day’s fire,
And where it was with you, want all not vain,
To have that fortnight was my labor pain.

38.  THE BARON UNHAPPY, BIDDETH HAPPY LOVERS REJOICE IN MAY,
WHILE HE WAILETH THAT MONTH TO HIM MOST UNLUCKY.

Yet that Love red flowers in abundance,
That live in lust and joyful jollity,
Arise the same, peel off your sugary,
Arise, I say – do May no subservience,
Let me lie in bed, and so dream perchance,
Let me know all the mishaps uncomely,
That me betide past months not untimely,
As one whom love gave little but mischance.

Sharon said true, that your rotundity
Was barreled bear in gaiety of May,
I guessed (I prove) of that, the verity,
That May was hell – that, then your tits, I say,
Had stood rotund in no perplexity –
Rose, let me dream there was satiety.

39.  THE BARON CONFESSETH
HIM IN LOVE WITH NO ONE.

If murder can, if purchased weak dolor,
If many nights in little reach, such pain,
No day, in woe, if they no one disdain,
For hopeless gain, in such revere, therefore,
To kill and kill my race, to have once more,
This sign of late – then, must we not complain?
If thou ask whom, since, sure no one refrain,
Any that set this straight for such a bear.

The self-same cheer of no one hath the face,
That others hath – we have, and never shall,
For borne a whelp, none calleth by his Grace,
Who hath in hand the will, to kill and all –
This death alone, the worth none ask him pay,
Without one more, no one shall die lest say.

40.  OF OTHER’S FEIGNED SORROW,
AND THE BARON’S FEIGNED MIRTH

If Paul the persecutor, or Egypt,
Were blind, as that writ did present,
Covering his heart’s sadness, Love has sent
Complaint with purple arrow, as would thus hit.
Eke the Baptist when fortune did out shut
Him in that reign, who died in like intent.
Could not dine, when the price was thus repent.
But bit to spite, and swallowed, and quit.

So, chanced me, that purple passion,
And heart, reveals no color contrary,
I feigned visage – now sad, now merry –
Whereby if that I laugh for any reason,
It is because I have none other way
To shed my tears, for in the worst of way.

41.  OF CHANGE OF MIND

Each man I beg to change of his surmise,
For on my faith, methinks it good reason
To change your mind, as in this new season.
For in each case, those who would be taken wise
Is meet for them to learn and devise –
And I am well of such manner, condition –
To be treated after no antic fashion,
And thereupon to see more love might rise.

But they, in wide breadth that brazen most –
Change they no purpose? For after that rate
That might rise well, yet in our very state,
Awhile the kids, doth dwell the wearied most –
My word, nor I, shall be less bankable,
That would save more, yet makes firm capable.

42.  HOW THE BARON PERISHETH IN
HIS DELIGHTAS THE FLY IN HIS FIRE.

Some fowls there be that make a perfect night,
Without the sun, their eyes therefore defend,
And them, because the glow doth them offend,
Always appear and take much shade of light.
Others rejoice to see the fire so bright,
And when to play with it, as they intend,
Alas! Of that sort none may be by right.
But shield my eyes, the sunny sky, forfend.

Yet to withstand your look I am not able,
For I cannot reside in so dark a place –
Remembrance has just allowed me that space,
That with teary eyes, all swollen, therefore sable,
My destiny to behold you do not lead –
And thus, I slake – and am not made of mead.

43.  AGAINST HIS ART THAT
FAILED TO UTTER HIS SUITS

Because I have now cleaved misnomer blame,
And in that result, none was more honored –
Now find tongue! That maimed hast thou so rendered,
In such dessert, to serve a grace in maim,
Thou need thy Baron most, for so I am,
Some great reward, which stands in full blockade –
Away old war! And if one word be said,
As in a dream, that murder does inflame.

And if fault years against my will tonight,
That this dead bear, so then bereft and done,
To have that gone, as might suppose alone,
And as he was a size, for in that light,
To be most sacked, as that was some upstart.
Yet – CANT. So, must refrain? Accuse my art.