Sonnet 152

In loving thee thou know’st I am forsworn,

But thou art twice forsworn, to me love swearing:

In act thy bed-vow broke, and new faith torn

In vowing new hate after new love bearing.

But why of two oaths’ breach do I accuse thee,

When I break twenty? I am perjured most,

For all my vows are oaths but to misuse thee,

And all my honest faith in thee is lost.

For I have sworn deep oaths of thy deep kindness,

Oaths of thy love, thy truth, thy constancy,

And, to enlighten thee, gave eyes to blindness,

Or made them swear against the thing they see:

For I have sworn thee fair, more perjured eye,

To swear against the truth so foul a lie.

In loving you, I know I’m betrayed,

But you betrayed twice when you called me your lover.

You don’t seem to count the ways you’ve strayed,

Or care when you’ve wounded another.

But why should I worry about your two lies?

I’ve lied more than twenty. I’ve lied a life’s time:

Every time I say that in you beauty lies,

Losing more faith in every rhyme.

I’ve said that you are kind and loving and true,

That you have a good heart behind a dark mask.

I’ve acted blind to illuminate you,

And seen but played down the risk.

Never your lover, I’ve still called you “beloved”:

A lie, as you’ve proved and proved.