| Higginson and Bigelow, comps. American Sonnets. 1891. | | | | The Passing of the Year | | By Helen Gray Cone (1859–1934) |
| | | O GENTLE year, I ’ll not entreat thee stay, | |
| Since now thy face is set to some far land | |
| Not named of men, untrod, a shadow-strand! | |
| And those most powerful prayers that lips could pray | |
| Would not obtain thy tarrying for a day. | 5 |
| Yet, gliding from us with the sliding sand, | |
| Thou shalt not pass till I have kissed the hand | |
| That gave me joys, and took but time away. | |
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| Can Love, that of the soul’s delight is born, | |
| Being matched in stature to the soul, increase? | 10 |
| Not so: but Memory, leaning at his side, | |
| Waxes with every rosy draught of morn, | |
| And gathers to her every moon’s full peace, | |
| And dreaming on dark seas of Summer, grows deep eyed. | | | | |
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