In his sonnets Will’s narrator loves a man
Platonically; for he’s heterosexual,
And does, initially, the best he can
To urge this youth to procreate, not stall.
What’s more, his ashamed adulterous affair
With a lustful dame, who’s also plucked his friend,
Causes him to fear the latter’s heart might tear,
And their marriage of true minds abruptly end.
Despite his faults, Will’s spokesman helps us see
That true love is compassionate and gentle,
Altruistic, unconditional and free,
Undaunted by Time and, therefore, transcendental.
These pregnant poems, when taken as a whole,
Lead first to empathy and then to Soul.
23 April 2025
P.S. Around the likely time this work was spun
Dear Shakespeare lost his young and only son.