Sonnet 59 'I Loved Her, and O, How I Meant Not To'

I loved her, and O! How I meant not to! To be my dead wife's husband, and a friend Respectful of her sister, humble, too, And now, respect and friendship're at an end. I thought that I could keep my feelings out Of any interaction that we had, I thought that I had bound them, with ropes stout And just for feeling, now, I feel so bad! I thought the perfect gentleman could say 'I love you', without burdening my friend But that was not the way Reality lay, I tried, desire, to admiration, to bend. O! You eternal fool, who could not be Nor silent witness, nor a still, calm sea!