Poems

Oh , great as she was, best of all our time, Mighty as tender, meek as she was wise, How can we pay our thanks to her who stood Alone upon the peak of her dark day, Questing the quiet worlds of brooding Love, Then spoke the word of waking to our vales; And those that slept in village, field, and street Lifted to walk with her upon the heights, To let Love's earliest rays their dreams destroy, Healing their sickness, giving dawn for dusk? We too can tread that spiritual track, Can on the dawn-illumined ridges walk, Kindling our torches at the light of Mind To rouse the dreamers from their doubt and heal The sorrow and the sickness and the sin, Earth's mindless shadows fleeing still the day; We too can claim the wonder of the morn, The miracle of His uprising sun, Dropping the mask for music, in that May, Knowing an endless summer for mankind. So let us journey, not as fainting, dull, Nor by the wayside weary or distressed, But in the glory of our new-found God Loosing the burdens, bearing still the joy, Seeing the city naught can take away; So let us journey with no staff but Soul, No scrip but meekness, and no coin but love, Lighting the world we tread but will not know, Lifting the eye turned earthward, piercing through Earth's monstrous mist until the dawn be day, And hiding place of all earth's lies be clean.

When mortal thoughts would press most heavily, And argue in behalf of every foe That tries to bind with morbid dreams of woe, And cloud my understanding that makes free, Dear God, then help me wake, and lift my eyes Unto the mount, and with that vision know Thy allness heals—destroying sin's disguise.

Peace , the cherished hope of ages, Peace secure from hatred's dream— Fervent hearts in eager watching See its promise brighter gleam. Men and nations groping, moving Toward the universal right, Mark the dawn of tranquil union, Gladdening sign of unselfed might.

It seems so small, dear God, What I can give to Thee of love and praise; Yet here my heart doth offer all its store Of grateful service, and I pray for more Humility and understanding light To better worship Thee in all my ways— Reflecting thus Thy might.

Mid strife and hate he heard Love's harmony, In Love's irradiance lost the glooms of sense; So clear beholding Love's omnipotence O'er death itself he won the victory! That Love is Life, to show humanity, Such wealth of understanding to dispense His all he gave, and gained all recompense— His crowning proof of Love's supremacy! We, too, must listen for Love's melody, Rejoice as up the hill of grief we go, In triumph over every seeming foe, Thus proving Love alone reality, Till with our Saviour's vision we shall see, The glory of his resurrection know.

The umber shadows wane. Vague dreams have gone; And to Mind's holy temple you have climbed.

The April sun rose up to see How beautiful the earth might be. It kissed the vapor from the hills, Dried up the tears that April spills, And icy chains that bound the rills It broke—and set them free! Mist, water, ice, these three are one, And vanish 'neath the April sun.

How amiable Thy tabernacles, Lord, How beautiful the vision all divine Of sanctuary hid with Christ in God! Look Thou, O Love, on Thine anointed; shine! Shine out through them to bless all humankind, In good works let their lives redound to Love, In wisdom lead them on from strength to strength, For thus they will Thy perfect beauty prove. Within Thine altar's courts, O Lord of hosts, Birds sing in rapturous safety with their young.

I carry with me as I go All that I know of heaven, And from each lesson rightly learned I glean the joy that I have earned, And more of glory is discerned By Love's tuition given. I look, and see my brother man His home of hope defining.

The powers of darkness—what are they? Mere phantoms of thy fear— Denounce them! They are nothingness, For God, thy light, is here. False dreams are they—God made us free; To us dominion's given.