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Sonnet to a Friend

It’s you who’ve been a constant in my life
from earliest thirst and to this very day.
You’ve helped me sail through lassitude and strife,
have always kept the ennui at bay.

You’ve shown me stars and galaxies above:
spelled out their numbers, called their varied names.
Each time, whatever this heart’s mind would love
to know, you’ve had the answer, aptly framed,

your store of knowledge, my ideal, pursued.
No matter where I’ve been, in you, was home.
What’s more, you never once asked for your due,
except that I give back the gifts you loaned.

You’ve in the past and will forever be
my help, my muse, my friend, my Library.

.

.

Johanna Donovan is a transplanted Swiss now growing in New England who gets up to write.

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19 Responses

  2. Norma Pain

    A lovely poem Johanna. My local library is a place that I also treasure. Thank you for this morning’s read.

    Reply
    • Patricia Redfern

      Johanna!
      What a lilting, refreshing and beautiful write!
      Your ending is quite a superb surpriseL

      Thank you for this delight!
      Patricia Redfern

      Reply
  5. Mia

    Your beautiful poem brings to mind the quote, “If you have a garden and a library you have everything you need”- Cicero,

    Thank you, I really enjoyed reading it, very well done. Beautifully expressed.

    Reply
  6. Satyananda Sarangi

    Greetings!

    The emotions of highest degree when put to words, produce such a piece.

    Lovely!

    Reply
  7. Severinus

    This sonnet is beautiful, and you did a great job hiding the revelation that comes in the last line. Thanks for sharing it.

    Reply
  8. Geoffrey S.

    That last line made me laugh because I wasn’t expecting the friend to be the library, so that having the stress on the last syllable of library (which the meter calls for) was oddly apt.

    Reply
    • jd

      Thank you for the visit and comment, Geoffrey. I must confess to not understanding what you mean by the stress on the final syllable though. To my ear it’s on the first, unless you are transcribing to French, perhaps?

      Reply
  9. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    jd, this cleverly sustained metaphor didn’t reveal to me the true identity of your trusty and erudite friend until the closing line… and all this smooth wit and wonder is in sonnet form! What more could this reader ask for? A big thank you for the nice surprise. I hope this doesn’t come as a shock… I have lost my heart to your friend and I’m quite besotted. 😉

    Reply
    • jd

      Thank you for commenting, Susan. I am especially appreciative of it coming from such a prolific poet.
      As for your confession, I think we both have a lot of “besotted” competition.

      Reply
  10. Margaret Coats

    “No matter where I’ve been, in you, was home”

    My special line from your sterling English sonnet, Johanna. I have quite a library at home, and wherever else I’ve been, I have usually found friendly comfort in other libraries. That makes numerous places to begin with, before we even think of all the places books lead us to. Every line of yours in this poem repays a little further thought in library-like quiet.

    Reply
    • jd

      Could have sworn I replied to you, Margaret. Love your comment with its “sterling” adjective which seems so English. And I’m delighted you found the poem so in tune with the library essence.

      Reply

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