TO THE FLOWER HEARTS-EASE.
Reading edition
Renounce thy name, deceitful flower,
Nor boast an art beyond thy power;
Dost thou such consequence assume,
That yieldeth no such rich perfume?
The jessamine and fragrant rose
Surpass thee far, yet humbler those:
Nor does the woodbine e’er pretend
To cheer or to console a friend.
Cease, cease to promise happiness—
What widow’s desolate distress,
Or aged parent’s troubled soul
Hast thou been able to control?
Thou pretty groveler on the ground,
No spell for sorrow can be found
In thee—a gaudy, rich attire
Is all thy votaries admire.
When varied colors, gay and bright,
Can give a joyless mind delight,
My muse shall celebrate thy fame—
Till then, false flower, renounce thy name.
Burlington, N. J.