"I am the only being whose doom..."
I am the only being whose doom
No tongue
would ask no eye would mourn
I never caused a thought of gloom
A
smile of joy since I was born
In secret pleasure--secret tears
This
changeful life has slipped away
As friendless after eighteen years
As
lone as on my natal day
There have been times I cannot hide
There
have been times when this was drear
When my sad soul forgot its pride
And
longed for one to love me here
But those were in the early glow
Of
feelings since subdued by care
And they have died so long ago
I hardly
now believe they were
First melted off the hope of youth
Then
Fancy's rainbow fast withdrew
And then experience told me truth
In
mortal bosoms never grew
'Twas grief enough to think mankind
All
hollow servile insincere
But worse to trust to my own mind
And find
the same corruption there