| Hunt and Lee, comps. The Book of the Sonnet. 1867. | | | Sonnets to Winter
IV. Old Friends to Love | | By John Esten Cooke (1830–1886) |
| | | OLD friends to love!—true soul bound to true soul | |
| With olden memories, and traces dear | |
| Of the dead past, claiming the happy tear | |
| That still at sight of each will fondly roll! | |
| Old friends! No sycophants of yesterday, | 5 |
| With smiles and protestations never done, | |
| Bright summer-flies, true “lovers of the sun” | |
| And all who bask beneath the golden ray. | |
| Old friends! who on the battle-field of life, | |
| When closed the serried hosts in stormy fight, | 10 |
| Have raised the buckler Friendship strong and bright, | |
| And borne us bleeding from the mortal strife, | |
| Who heart-whole, pure in faith, once written friend, | |
| In life and death are true, unto the end! | | | | |
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