Poems

O help me, heavenly Father To know Thee as Thou art, The Truth that makes me free indeed And purifies the heart. To gain the Life eternal, Of sin I must repent, And follow in humility The Christ whom Thou hast sent.

Well shall it be with the upright man, Well, ever well; For the deeds of his mind are like the seed That grows and ripens for coming need; Hand's work comes back to the hand, they tell, Cease to do evil learn to do well— For that is the heavenly plan. Light is sown for the righteous man, Light, heavenly light; Mists may hang o'er the sproutless fields, And toil be long ere the good grain yields; But the harvest brings the sower's reward In winnowed grain from the hands of his Lord Who purges all with his fan.

The past holds no regrets for me. No gaunt and lurking dread Can rob to-morrow of its peace, For God is here.

As in some vast cathedral, one looks up Through columns, carved and tinted deep by time, Up, up to where the light grows faint; and where Through windows, made by dust of ages dim. A few pale sunbeams strive to force their way; So in the redwoods.

Fling forth the triple-colored flag 'to dare The bright, untraveled highways of the air. Blow the undaunted bugles, blow, and yet Let not the boast betray us to forget.

It is not day, and yet the night is gone, Look eastward—see! that is not black, but gray— Cold gray, hard gray, dark gray; and yet if one Watches it, cold and hard, he hopes for day. Whiter and whiter—see, the night is done! The stars are frightened, and they pale away.

O little blade of grass, thy faith sublime Bids thee aspire to pierce the stubborn clod; Frosts cannot chill thy courage, upward still Thou pushest "boldly through the frozen sod, Up to the light and God. The piercing wind of March its arrows fling Full at thy heart, but thou art not afraid; The snowflakes bury thee in gelid robe.

Heaven doth with us as we with torches do,— Not light them for themselves. — Shakespeare.

Happy the man whose heart can rest, Sure that God's goodness ne'er will cease; Each day, complete, with joy is blessed, God keepeth him in perfect peace. God keepeth him, and God is one,— One Life, forevermore the same, One Truth unchanged while ages run, Eternal Love His holiest name.

Love hath touched with light divine The sable veil of gloom; Father, bid the night decline, And cause the dawn to bloom; Remove the clouds that roll Between me and my goal. Holy angels from above.