WHEN THE ENGLISH TONGUE WE SPEAK....

When the English tongue we speak,
Why is "break" not rhymed with "freak"
And the maker of a verse
Cannot cap his "horse" with "worse"?
"Beard" sounds not the same as "heard"
"Cord" is different from "word."
"Cow" is cow, but "low" is low.
"Shoe" is never rhymed with "foe."
Think of "hose" and "dose" and "lose,"
And of "goose" and yet of "choose."
Think of "comb" and "tomb" and "bomb"
"Doll" and "roll" and "home" and "some."
And since "pay" is rhymed with "say"
Why not "paid" and "said", I pray?
We have "blood" and "food" and "good."
"Mould" is not pronounced like "could."
Wherefore "done" but "gone" and "lone?
Is there any reason known?
And, in short it seems to me,
Sounds and letters disagree.