Poems

May I be patient with unreason, I Who am so little reasonable, Lord! Let me be calm before dishonesty, Who am so heedless, often, of Thy Word. Teach me to walk Thy way in tenderness; To know that evil has no life, no part In all Thy kingdom; give me gentleness, And, above all, an understanding heart.

Sure that divine intelligence directs us, We know, and do rejoice, that Love protects us. Our work secure and sweet, the Father guiding, Our life in unity with Him abiding; Our crown, to heal and save, like our dear Master, To claim salvation, even when disaster And worldly might seem powerful to hinder; God's Word, the lamp of Truth, our sure reminder, Revealing light and joy, where sin and sorrow Loomed dark.

Our love for Thee unselfed must be. The holy Word of Truth reveals That only unselfed love can see The Christ that saves and heals.

Within, in quiet refuge, I find God, And peace and love that never men could give; In prayerful meditation thought takes wings, Soaring to heights where only love can live. Here evil cannot enter—at the door Truth stands, a watchful sentinel, ashine With holy purpose, wielding its bright sword To guard the temple of the law divine.

When there are days that grow so dark I cannot see the light, He takes my hand and gently leads My faltering steps aright. When sometimes in the mountain climb The way seems rough and steep, His angels bear me safely up And all my ways do keep.

Awake in prayer, the Leader, God-ordained, Spent oft night-watches, thinking for her flock; Hers was a love supreme, a faith unfeigned; Her building rests upon the unshaken rock. By wise instinct she sensed a danger near And knew to wake the slumberer, and to warn; She countered human malice without fear, And made life's promise rich for those unborn.

Rain-storms that beat upon the house in vain, Fierce winds that strive, but fail to enter in, Are like those dreams which time and time again The door of thought assail—that thought I fain Would keep so pure and spotless, free from sin. They are not mine! They come not from within! If I build truly, and the door guard well, Keeping the entrance closed to all that harms, Serene and calm within Love's citadel I shall abide.

Be patient, doubting heart, All good is thine— All thou canst ask, yea, more! And Love divine Will meet thy every need. Doubt not, nor sigh! Love guardeth thee alway With watchful eye.

She came to him because her child was mad, Grievously vexed with devils, and she had The lovely sanity to disregard His more exalted titles. Since a bard, A sweet singer in Israel, you recall, Once played and sang the madness out of Saul, She now addressed this heir, this later one, This instrument of unseen Mind, as son Of David, and she asked him to restore Peace to her daughter.

Where darkness reigned, you brought the light to me, And showed the way that leads to liberty. You turned my thoughts away from suffering sense To see the truth of Love's omnipotence And omnipresence, where no loss can be, For man's true selfhood lives eternally! When fraught with grief, and slow to understand, You gave your friendship, and you took my hand, And gently led me where no grief can be— To Spirit's realm, where all are joyous, free! And now I know, though parted humanly, That all are one in Love's sweet unity.