Poems

As Truth is true, immutable, supreme, Upon this rock of Truth we build our house, The consciousness of ever-present good. Though storms assail and rains descend in floods, Fear not; your dwelling place in Christ abides.

Teach me, O Lord, that simple grace Which sanctifies the lowliest place, Inspiring every thought and act With gentleness and kindly tact, So that the humblest words of mine May breathe the Spirit that is Thine; And though my task seem slight and small Let me trace Thy will in all, Not seeking honor in fine deeds, But serving where another needs, So striving that at last I meet The Master at my brother's feet.

When he beheld an apple's certain fall And delved behind the event for something more, Sir Isaac Newton leaped the towering wall Dividing scientific minds that bore Like awls beneath an old investiture From those that merely mark the event's occurring— Such Fulton was and Watt, who found a lure Far sweeter than the drowsy kettle's purring. Just so, because our Master saw the bliss Of Soul as All despite the clouds of sense, And tested well his grand hypothesis, Completely proving God's omnipotence, We say with reverence, "Here indeed is power, Is Science, that commands us to be free, That saves the sick, that brings the promised shower Of blessing! Eyes untaught what sight may be Will now discern the wonder of a flower, Of dawn, of poppied sunset, of the sea.

I God's kingdom triumphs not "with observation," With Pharisaic classifying-care, With smug opinion pigeonholing nation And personality, "Lo here, lo there," Until from elevated seat of scorn Our self-assured surveying gains the whole Far world in proud appraisal and, forlorn, We lose our basic unity with Soul. But we must use this world of tumult-stress As monitor to show each local fault That lurks in our own thought, for we can bless, Renew, transform, co-ordinate, exalt The outer scene, only if we begin At self-correction's focal point within.

It seemed I needed rest, refreshment, peace; And so I prayed, "Dear Father, give me .

Enlarge my sphere! O Lord, enlarge my borders! I wait on Thee, Obedient to Thine orders. The good I do Was never born of me; What Thou hast done Is for us all to see.

And Hagar, cast out of the tents of Abraham, With her child Wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. And presently the water in the bottle was spent, And Hagar, despairing, cast the child under a shrub to die, And lifted up her voice and wept.

The Passover drew near, and Jesus sat With his disciples in an upper room. Below, the crowds would celebrate a feast With outward show of gratitude to God, Then turn and rend the one who spoke of Life, Doing the will of those who could not bear The purity and meekness of the Christ, The truth the Master taught.

" Arise , and go Into a street called Straight, And find a man named Saul. Heal him, for, behold, he prayeth.

Not to the risen Lord we cling, who said to Mary, "Touch me not," but to the eternal Christ and King, the Lamb unblemished, without spot. The risen Lord had form and face and human tones to speak the name of Mary, when with power and grace transfigured from the tomb he came.