The Old Gray Sonnet

Inspired by an evening from Richard Llewellyn's 1939 novel "How Green Was My Valley" and by the 1909 song by Percy Wenrich and Stanley Murphy, "Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet."

————

I found an old gray sonnet with a faded

ribbon on it from when we first met.

That day old Dobbin pulled the shay, the glade

of clover helped persuade; your heart was set

to meld with mine, a consequence that I

found fine, in fact, divine—your sweet perfume,

a lilac bloom, when rolled in clover by

and by, enchanted me, and would consume

my every hope. My heart and soul were bade

to make you my fair maid; as yours was set

to make me yours, and as the sun would fade,

in faith, old Dobbin waited for us yet.

Alas, that joyful day of yore long gone,

a sonnet’s all that’s left, for we moved on.

By Ken Gosse

From: United States

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/ken.gosse/