Explore "Verses and Sonnets" by Hilaire Belloc on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Youth gave you to me, but I'll not believe / That youth will, taking his quick self, take you. / Youth's all our truth; he cannot so deceive; / He has our graces -- not our own selves too. / He still compares with time when he'll be spent, / By human fate enhancing what we are; / Enriches us with dear experiment, / Lends arms to leaguered age in Time's rough war.
Look, this youth in us is an old man taking / A boy to make him wiser than his days. / So is our old youth our young ages making, / So rich in time his final debt he pays. / So with your quite young arms do you me hold, / And I will still be young when all the world's grown old.