The Collar Poem By George Herbert

by
  1. I struck the board, and cried, “No more;
  2. I will abroad!
  3. What? shall I ever sigh and pine?
  4. My lines and life are free, free as the road,
  5. Loose as the wind, as large as store.
  6. Shall I be still in suit?
  7. Have I no harvest but a thorn
  8. To let me blood, and not restore
  9. What I have lost with cordial fruit?
  10. Sure there was wine
  11. Before my sighs did dry it; there was corn
  12. Before my tears did drown it.
  13. Is the year only lost to me?
  14. Have I no bays to crown it,
  15. No flowers, no garlands gay? All blasted?
  16. All wasted?
  17. Not so, my heart; but there is fruit,
  18. And thou hast hands.
  19. Recover all thy sigh-blown age
  20. On double pleasures; leave thy cold dispute
  21. Of what is fit and not. Forsake thy cage,
  22. Thy rope of sands,
  23. Which petty thoughts have made, and made to thee
  24. Good cable, to enforce and draw,
  25. And be thy law,
  26. While thou didst wink and wouldst not see.
  27. Away! take heed;
  28. I will abroad.
  29. Call in thy death’s-head there; tie up thy fears;
  30. He that forbears
  31. To suit and serve his need,
  32. Deserves his load.”
  33. But as I raved and grew more fierce and wild
  34. At every word,
  35. Me thought I heard one calling, “Child!”
  36. And I replied, “My Lord.”