I am continuing with Hilaire Belloc. This one is aimed at any one who loves, who knows that to love is to love but one person: he who says he loves must discriminate, for the beloved wants to know they are yours alone.

Six

Youth gave you to me, but I’ll not believe
That Youth will, taking his quick self, take you.
Youth’s all our Truth : he cannot so deceive.
He has our graces, not our ownselves too.

He still compares with time when he’ll be spent,
By human doom enhancing what we are ;
Enriches us with rare experiment,
Lends arms to leagured Age in Time’s rough war.

Look ! This Youth in us is an Old Man taking
A Boy to make him wiser than his days.
So is our old Youth our young Age’s making:
So rich in time our final debt he pays.

Then with your quite young arms do you me hold
And I will still be young when all the World’s
grown old.

Hilare Belloc