The Sovereign

Always over hill and dale A wanderer walking in strides Restlessly hitting the trail On the dark or the sunny side Keeping on a steady pace Without leaving any trace Used to nature of progress A lot of well directed steps Haunting the fields and the woods Rather than the doors of men Attending to his own moods As a wilderness denizen With a feeling soon renewed Kind of withered over time A severed stem far from its roots Though blooming during his climb Creeping in, the cold Invades his inner stronghold The icy quiver running through his bones Reminds him suddenly that he was gone For way too long Too far, alone Wherever this one is traveling Welcomed, expected or despised By a fireside or a chilling wind Even-tempered, such is the wise Not a beggar, to stay when spurned He can't be drawn in any strife And never got his fingers burned By possessions, such is his life Good-natured like the stray cat A sense of gratitude for his beloved independence When done with society, he's taking a step back Just goes off quietly somewhere by himself Surveyor of human soul Monarch of lands that lies fallow Honored of all he must not do against his will And rich with all that he can afford to drop out of his hands Most rewards are expensively sold For attendance, curtsies and praise Most properties are not worth this pile of gold Gauged in time, measured in precious days Growing, the annoyance Abrades his inner balance The many frictions disturbing his mind Weaken his detachment, strengthen his view To stay aloof From humankind Wherever this one is traveling Welcomed, expected or despised By a fireside or a chilling wind Even-tempered, such is the wise Not a beggar, to stay when spurned He can't be drawn in any strife And never got his fingers burned By possessions, such is his life Good-natured like the stray cat A sense of gratitude for his beloved independence When done with society, he's taking a step back Just goes off quietly somewhere by himself