Poems

I Read when God would answer once for all The question, What is love?—that Woman was His thought expressed. I knew that it was true, But long I looked for one who had rent the veil Of earthly sense and found it so; who saw In heaven's clear light, her heart was God's own heart In perfect full expression.

Our Holy Cause in concord stands, Majestic, blest, serene. And from Her Horeb height commands, An army, vast, supreme.

Flee as a bird, from the snare of the fowlers Flee to your mountain ye faithful ones, flee, Preening your wings, soar above earth's illusions, Wing your flight far beyond sin's surging sea. Losing the sound of time's turbulent billows, Lashed into discord by sorrow and fear, Flee from the snare of the merciless fowlers, Rise till the heights of your mountain appear.

I longed to gird the harness on, To work with might and will; Stern was the voice that said to me,— "My child, wait and be still. He only knoweth how to serve Who knoweth how to wait; Thus test I all who wish to work Within my vineyard gate.

Laus deo , it is done. Rolled away from loving heart Is a stone, Lifted higher we depart Having one.

"Arise!" cried forth a mighty Voice, "all ye That sleep. " O earthborn Lily, who told thee      To come forth with the living, from the dead?      The little Lily answered, "The great Head And Heart of Nature, God Himself, called me.

What is Heaven? not a steep, Frowning o'er the sands of time, Guarded like a castle's keep, Which the strong can only climb! 'Tis an ever-present bliss In the soul, by God refined; 'Tis that better world, in this, Which the pure in spirit find. Where is Heaven? Wheresoe'er Lives a pure and loving heart; Love is all the atmosphere, Where the holy dwell apart; Men and angels mingle there, Whether earth be passed or not.

Oh gentle Patience, plodding slow the way! Thou sober-robed one, no light is shed Of holy aureole around thy head, To show thou art a saint of heavenly sway! We love the winged ones, and would array Ourselves beside the glowing Faith, deep-eyed, And fly with Hope to yonder mountain side; For Patience is a homely maid, we say. But ah, the hour when heavy shadows fall, And sore feet stumble; when we cannot see Fair Hope, or Faith, but doubt and darkness, all! Aye, then, through night and gloom shines gloriously Thy simple face; and sweet the tender call, " My steps alone are slow enough for thee!".

All hail the wondrous gift of Love, The Home of Peace, which, like the dove, Descends upon the gathered throng, And gratitude is voiced in song. Here Truth will touch the waiting thought, And care and sorrow come to naught, For God is all and Love is here, And this is Heaven's own atmosphere.

They laid him in a vaulted tomb,— The Lord they'd pierced on Calvary, Consigned, thought they, to Lethe's gloom, By priesthood's pomp and heraldry. A stone they rolled before the door,— No more need scribe and priest complain; Forgetful they how, long before, He'd called the dead to life again.