Sonnet 64

1 When I have seen by Time’s fell hand defaced
2 The rich-proud cost of outworn buried age,
3 When sometime lofty towers I see down-rased,
4 And brass eternal slave to mortal rage.
5 When I have seen the hungry ocean gain
6 Advantage on the kingdom of the shore,
7 And the firm soil win of the watery main,
8 Increasing store with loss, and loss with store.
9 When I have seen such interchange of State,
10 Or state it self confounded, to decay,
11 Ruin hath taught me thus to ruminate:
12 That Time will come and take my love away.
13 This thought is as a death which cannot choose
14 But weep to have, that which it fears to lose.