I gazed upon the lilac buds one cold and bleak spring day,
All pinched with midnight frosts, but bravely waiting for the sun;
I grieved a little, for they seemed so thwarted on their way,
So checked in life's endeavor, that had only just begun.
And then I thought, beyond it all, tho' hidden from our sight,
God's sun shines on eternally, with warmth of truth and love;
And the patience of the lilac buds, just waiting for the light,
Revived my slack'ning energies Love's radiant power to prove.
I cast aside impatience, and I fought resentment down;
And disappointment vanished, for I chased it with a smile;
I spied a thousand jewels in my erstwhile thorn-filled crown;
And man stood forth God's image, where my thought had called
him vile.
And there, beside the lilacs, I awoke with vision clear;
The chilly wind had passed; I breathed a perfume-laden breeze:
And my heart cried out in gratitude; for dreams of want and fear
Had vanished through the lesson of the waiting lilac trees.
