The Common Road

I want to travel the common road
With the great crowd surging by,
Where there's many a laugh and many a load,
And many a smile and sigh.
I want to be on the common way
With its endless tramping feet,
In the summer bright and winter gray,
In the noonday sun and heat.
In the cool of evening with shadows nigh,
At dawn, when the sun breaks clear,
I want the great crowd passing by,
To ken what they see and hear.
I want to be one of the common herd,
Not live in a sheltered way,
Want to be thrilled, want to be stirred
By the great crowd day by day;
To glimpse the restful valleys deep,
To toil up the rugged hill,
To see the brooks which shyly creep,
To have the torrents thrill.
I want to laugh with the common man
Wherever he chance to be,
I want to aid him when I can
Whenever there's need of me.
I want to lend a helping hand
Over the rough and steep
To a child too young to understand--
To comfort those who weep.
I want to live and work and plan
With the great crowd surging by,
To mingle with the common man,
No better or worse than I.

              ~ Silas H. Perkins

The Loom of Time

Man's life is laid in the loom of time
  To a pattern he does not see,
While the weavers work and the shuttles fly
   Till the dawn of eternity.

Some shuttles are filled with silver threads
   And some with threads of gold,
While often but the darker hues
   Are all that they may hold.

But the weaver watches with skillful eye
   Each shuttle fly to and fro,
And sees the pattern so deftly wrought
   As the loom moves sure and slow.

God surely planned the pattern:
   Each thread, the dark and fair,
Is chosen by His master skill
   And placed in the web with care.

He only knows its beauty,
   And guides the shuttles which hold
The threads so unattractive,
   As well as the threads of gold.

Not till each loom is silent,
   And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God reveal the pattern
   And explain the reason why

The dark threads were as needful
   In the weaver's skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
   For the pattern which He planned.

                          ~ Unknown

I Love You

    I love you for what you are, but I
love you yet more for what you are
going to be.
    I love you not so much for your
realities as for your ideals. I pray for
your desires that they may be great,
rather than for your satisfactions,
which may be hazardously little.
    A satisfied flower is one whose pet-
als are about to fall. The most beauti-
ful rose is one hardly more than a bud
wherein the pangs and ecstasies of de-
sire are working for larger and finer
growth.
    Not always shall you be what you
are now.
    You are going forward toward some-
thing great. I am on the way with you
and therefore I love you.
                          ~ Carl Sandburg

The Sea

The sea, the sea, the open sea,
The blue, the fresh, the ever free;
Without a mark, without a bound,
It runneth the earth's wide regions
      round.
It plays with the clouds, it mocks the
      skies,
Or like a cradled creature lies.
I'm on the sea, I'm on the sea,
I am where I would ever be,
With the blue above and the blue
      below,
And silence wheresoever I go.
If a storm should come and awake the
      deep,
What matter? I shall ride and sleep.

I love, oh! how I love to ride
On the fierce, foaming bursting tide,
Where every mad wave drowns the
      moon,
And whistles aloft its tempest tune,
And tells how goeth the world below,
And why the southwest wind doth
      blow!
I never was on the dull, tame shore
But I loved the great sea more and
      more,
And backward flew to her billowy
      breast,
Like a bird that seeketh her mother's
      nest,--
And a mother she was and is to me,
For I was born on the open sea.

        ~ Barry Cornwall

What Is Poetry?

Poetry is the universal language
which the heart holds with nature
    and itself.
He who has a contempt for poetry
cannot have much respect for
    himself or for anything else . . .
for all that is worth remembering
    in life is the poetry of it.

Fear is poetry, hope is poetry, love
    is poetry, hatred is poetry;
contempt, jealousy, remorse,
    admiration, wonder, pity,
despair, or madness are all poetry.

  ~ William Hazlitt [1778-1830]

Wind In The Pine

Oh, I can hear you, God, above the cry
         Of tossing trees--
Rolling your windy tides across the sky,
         And splashing your silver seas
               Over the pine,
         To the water line
               Of the moon.
Oh, I can hear you, God,
Above the wail of the lonely loon--
When the pine tops pitch and nod--
    Chanting your melodies
Of ghostly waterfalls and avalanches,
Swashing your wind among the branches
    To make them pure and white.

Wash over me, God, with your piney breeze,
    And your moon's wet silver pool;
Wash over me, God, with your wind and night
    And leave me clean and cool.

                       ~ Lew Sarett

Something Told The Wild Geese

Something told the wild geese
    It was time to go.
Though the fields lay golden
    Something whispered,--"Snow."
Leaves were green and stirring,
    Berries, luster-glossed,
But beneath warm feathers
    Something cautioned,--"Frost."
All the sagging orchards
    Steamed with amber spice,
But each wild breast stiffened
    At remembered ice.
Something told the wild geese
    It was time to fly,--
Summer sun was on their wings,
    Winter in their cry.

   ~ Rachel Field

A Sea Song

A wet sheet and a flowing sea;
    A wind that follows fast,
And fills the white and rustling sail
    And bends the gallant mast;
And bends the gallant mast, my boys,
    While like the eagle free,
Away the good ship flies, and leaves
    Old England on the lee.

O for a soft and gentle wind!
    I heard a fair one cry;
But give to me the snoring breeze
    And white waves heaving high;
And white waves heaving high, my lads,
    The good ship light and free--
The world of waters is our home,
    And merry men are we.

There's tempest in yon horned moon,
    And lightning in yon cloud;
But hark the music, mariners!
    The wind is piping loud;
The wind is piping loud, my boys,
    The lightning flashes free--
While the hollow oak our palace is,
    Our heritage--the sea.

      ~ Allan Cunningham

Song

When I am dead, my dearest,
    Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
    Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
    With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
    And if thou wilt, forget.

I shall not see the shadows,
    I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
    Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
    That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember
    And haply may forget.

   ~ Christina Georgina Rossetti

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

  ~ Robert Frost

Up-Hill

Does the road wind up-hill all the way?
   Yes, to the very end.
Will the day's journey take the whole
      long day?
   From morn to night, my friend.

But is there for the night a resting-
      place?
   A roof for when the slow dark hours
          begin.
May not the darkness hide it from my
      face?
   You cannot miss that inn.

Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?
   Those who have gone before.
Then must I knock, or call when just
      in sight?
   They will not keep you standing at
      that door.

Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and
      weak?
   Of labour you shall find the sum.
Will there be beds for me and all who
      seek?
   Yea, beds for all who come.

   ~ Christina Georgina Rossetti

The Way Through The Woods

They shut the road through the woods
Seventy years ago.
Weather and rain have undone it again,
And now you would never know
There was once a road through the
       woods
Before they planted the trees.
It is underneath the coppice and heath,
And the thin anemones.
Only the keeper sees
That, where the ring-dove broods,
And the badger rolls at ease,
There was once a way through the
       woods.

Yet, if you enter the woods
Of a summer evening late,
When the night air cools on the trout-
       ringed pools
Where the otter whistles his mate,
(They fear not men in the woods,
Because they see so few)
You will hear the beat of a horse's feet,
And the swish of a skirt in the dew,
Steadily cantering through
The misty solitudes,
As though they perfectly knew
The old lost road through the
       wood. . . .
But there is no road through the woods!

   ~ Rudyard Kipling

The Foot-Path To Peace

    To be glad of life because it gives
you the chance to love and to work and
to play and to look up at the stars--
to be satisfied with your possessions
but not contented with yourself until
you have made the best of them--
to despise nothing in the world except
falsehood and meanness, and to fear
nothing except cowardice--
to be governed by your admirations
rather than by your disgusts; to covet
nothing that is your neighbor's except
his kindness of heart and gentleness of
manners--
to think seldom of your enemies, often
of your friends, and every day of Christ;
and to spend as much time as you can,
with body and with spirit, in God's out-
of-doors--
these are little guide-posts on the foot-
path to peace.

   ~ Henry Van Dyke

Address to the Ocean

O, lovely in repose! thy summer form
Is beautiful, and when thy silver waves
Make music in earth's dark and wind-
    ing caves,
I love to wander on thy pebbled beach,
Marking the sunlight at the evening
    hour,
And hearken to the thoughts thy waters
    teach,--
Eternity--Eternity--and Power.

    ~ Barry Cornwall [excerpt]

The Mountains Are A Lonely Folk

The mountains they are silent folk,
    They stand afar--alone;
And the clouds that kiss their brows
      at night
    Hear neither sigh or groan.
Each bears him in his ordered place
    As soldiers do, and bold and high
They fold their forests round their
      feet
    And bolster up the sky.

    ~ Hamlin Garland
 

Peace

With eager heart and will on fire,
I fought to win my great desire
"Peace shall be mine," I said; but life
Grew bitter in the weary strife.

My soul was tired, and my pride
Was wounded deep: to Heaven I cried,
"God grant me peace or I must die;"
The dumb stars glittered no reply.

Broken at last, I bowed my head,
Forgetting all myself, and said,
"Whatever comes, His will be done;"
And in that moment peace was won.

   ~ Henry Van Dyke

Lord of Power and Love

   Lord of Power and Love! I come, trusting in
Thine almighty strength, and Thine infinite
goodness, to beg from Thee what is wanting in
myself; even that grace which shall help me
such to be, and such to do, as Thou wouldst
have me.

   I will trust Thee, in Whom is everlasting
strength. Be Thou my Helper, to carry me on
beyond my own strength, and to make all that
I think, and speak, and do, acceptable in Thy
sight, through Jesus Christ.  Amen.

   ~ F.B. Meyer, Our Daily Walk; Prayer

The Salutation of the Dawn

Listen to the exhortation of the dawn!
Look to this day! For it is life,
    The very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the varieties
And realities of your existence.
    The bliss of growth,
    The glory of action,
    The splendor of beauty,
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only a vision;
    But today well lived
Makes every yesterday a dream of
    happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day!
Such is the salutation of the dawn.

       ~ from the Sanskrit

St. Teresa's Book-Mark

Let nothing disturb thee,
Nothing affright thee;
All things are passing;
God never changeth;
Patient endurance
Attaineth to all things;
Who God possesseth
In nothing is wanting;
Alone God sufficeth.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Hills

I never loved your plains,
    Your gentle valleys,
Your drowsy country lanes
    And pleached alleys.

I want my hills--the trail
    That scorns the hollow--
Up, up the ragged shale
    Where few will follow.

Up, over wooded crest,
    And mossy boulder,
With strong thigh, heaving chest,
    And swinging shoulder.

So let me hold my way,
    By nothing halted,
Until, at close of day,
    I stand exalted.

High on my hills of dream--
    Dear hills that know me!
And then how fair will seem
    The land below me!

How pure, at vesper-time
    The far bells chiming!
God, give me hills to climb
    And strength for climbing!

    ~ Arthur Guiterman

Something To Do

Thank God every morning when you get up
that you have something to do that day which
must be done, whether you like it or not. Being
forced to work and forced to do your best will
breed in you temperance and self-control, dili-
gence and strength of will, cheerfulness and
content, and a hundred virtues which the idle
never know.

    ~ Charles Kingsley [1819-1875]

Builders

When we build, let us think that we build
forever. Let it not be for present delight nor
for present use alone. Let it be such work as
our descendants will thank us for, and let us
think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time
is to come when those stones will be held
sacred because our hands have touched them,
and that men will say as they look upon the
labor and wrought substance of them, "See!
This our Fathers did for us."

      ~ John Ruskin

Silence

I need not shout my faith. Thrice
     eloquent
   Are quiet trees and the green listen-
     ing sod;
Hushed are the stars, whose power is
   never spent;
   The hills are mute: yet how they
     speak of God!

     ~ Charles Hanson Towne

These Are the Gifts I Ask

     These are the gifts I ask
     Of Thee, Spirit serene:
     Strength for the daily task,
     Courage to face the road,
Good cheer to help me bear the travel-
   ler's load,
And, for the hours of rest that come
   between,
An inward joy in all things heard and
   seen.
     These are the sins I fain
     Would have Thee take away:
     Malice, and cold disdain,
     Hot anger, sullen hate,
Scorn of the lowly, envy of the great,
And discontent that casts a shadow
   gray
On all the brightness of a common day.

     ~ Henry Van Dyke

Ellis Park

Little park that I pass through,
I carry off a piece of you
Every morning hurrying down
To my work-day in the town;
Carry you for country there
To make the city ways more fair.
I take your trees,
And your breeze,
Your greenness,
Your cleanness,
Some of your shade, some of your sky,
Some of your calm as I go by;
Your flowers to trim
The pavements grim;
Your space for room in the jostled street
And grass for carpet to my feet.
Your fountains take and sweet bird calls
To sing me from my office walls.
All that I can see
I carry off with me.

But you never miss my theft,
So much treasure you have left.
As I find you, fresh at morning,
So I find you, home returning--
Nothing lacking from your grace.
All your riches wait in place
For me to borrow
On the morrow.

Do you hear this praise of you,
Little park that I pass through?

    ~  Helen Hoyt

Needs

I want a little house
   Upon a little hill,
With lilacs laughing at the door
   When afternoons are still.

I want an apple tree
   Laden with drifts of bloom;
I want blue china all about
   In every little room.

I want a little path
   Bordered with brilliant phlox,
And on each windowsill I want
   A painted flower box.

And then--I want you there
   In sun, and frost, and rain,
To smile when I come trudging home
   Through a dim, scented lane.

For what's a little house
   Upon a little hill,
Unless you light the fire for me
   When nights are strangely still?

     ~ Charles Hanson Towne

Song of the Rabbits Outside the Tavern

We who play under the pines,
We who dance in the snow
That shines blue in the light of the
      moon
Sometimes halt as we go,
Stand with our ears erect,
Our noses testing the air,
To gaze at the golden world
Behind the windows there.

Suns they have in a cave,
And stars each on a tall white stem
And the thought of fox or of owl
Seems never to bother them.
They laugh and eat and are warm,
Their food is ready at hand
While hungry out in the cold
We little rabbits stand.

But they never dance as we dance
They have not the speed nor the grace,
We scorn both the cat and the dog
Who lie by their fireplace,
We scorn them, licking their paws
Their eyes on an upraised spoon--
We who dance hungry and wild
Under a winter's moon!

       ~ Elizabeth Coatsworth

The Mustang

A darkened hill, and a crimson West,
   And silhouetted against the light
A black mustang on a tawny crest
   Rears aloft in a sudden fright.

Startled perhaps by a coyote's cry,
   Or a scent on the wind; a moment
      there
He is a marble chiseled on the sky;
   He is a motion captured on the air.

Sinewed power and strength and grace,
   And wild, wild beauty, and the hill
Is only a canvas on whose face
   An upreared muscled form stands
      still.

A moment only, and then a hand
   Has swept the canvas clean, to leave
A lonely barren space, a hush--
   And something lost for which I
      grieve.

       ~ Grace Noll Crowell

          

Leisure

What is this life, if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare,

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass,

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

        ~ W. H. Davies

All Men Are Pioneers

All men are pioneers inside their hearts.
They are forever seeking wilderness.
Behind strong teams they ride in hooded carts,
Avid for life, and masterless.

They would take their women west or north,
They would invade a country terrible with peril,
They would eternally be riding forth
Out of the cities they have found so sterile.

In their hearts they are forever cutting clover,
They are forever drawing water from a well.
In their dreams they are observing, over and over,
The ground they would clear, the forests they would fell.

They are dreaming of lands uncivilized that sprawl
Unfound, or unimagined or forgot. . .
Knowing they will not leave the town at all,
As like as not.

       ~ Lionel Wiggam

The Bird Let Loose

The bird let loose in eastern skies,
   When hastening fondly home,
Ne'er stoops to earth her wing, nor flies
   Where idle warblers roam;
But high she shoots through air and
       light,
   Above all low delay,
Where nothing earthly bounds her
       flight,
   Nor shadow dims her way.

So grant me, God, from every care
   And stain of passion free,
Aloft, through Virtue's purer air,
   To hold my course to Thee!
No sin to cloud, no lure to stay
   My soul, as home she springs;--
Thy sunshine on her joyful way,
   Thy freedom in her wings!

        ~ Thomas Moore

Beautiful Thoughts

The thought that is beautiful is the thought
to cherish. The word that is beautiful is
worthy to endure. The act that is beautiful
is eternally and always true and right. Only
beware that your appreciation of beauty is
just and true; and to that end, I urge you to
live intimately with beauty of the highest
type, until it has become a part of you,
until you have within you that fineness,
that order, that calm, which puts you in
tune with the finest things of the universe,
and which links you with that spirit that is
the enduring life of the world.

        ~ Bertha Bailey

Victory

Ye that have faith to look with fearless eyes
    Beyond the tragedy of a world at strife,
And know that out of death and night shall rise
    The dawn of ampler life:
Rejoice, whatever anguish rend the heart,
    That God has given you the priceless dower
To live in these great times and have your part
    In Freedom's crowning hour,
That ye may tell your sons who see the light
    High in the heavens--their heritage to take--
"I saw the powers of darkness take their flight;
    I saw the morning break."

            ~ Owen Seaman

Letter to Saint Peter

Let them in, Peter, they are very tired;
Give them the couches where the angels sleep.
Let them wake whole again to new dawns fired
With sun, not war. And may their peace be deep.
Remember where the broken bodies lie . . .
And give them things they like. Let them have noise.
God knows how young they were to have to die!
Give swing bands, not gold harps, to these our boys.
Let them love, Peter--they have had no time--
Girls sweet as meadow wind, with flowering hair. . .
They should have trees and bird song, hills to climb--
The taste of summer in a ripened pear.
Tell them how they are missed. Say not to fear;
It's going to be all right with us down here.

                 ~ Elma Dean

The Little Spring Flows Clear Again

The little spring flows clear again
    While I stand watching close to see
What clouded it. If wings were here
    To splash the silver merrily
They flew before I came too near.

And if a fawn had rubbed its nose,
    Thrust deep in silver running cool,
Upon the bottom of the spring,
    It heard me wading in the pool
Of shadow where the thrushes sing.

The little spring flows clear again,
    But now is clouded in my mind
The flight of wings that went away--
    And something that I came to find
Was loveliness afraid to stay.

     ~ Glenn Ward Dresbach

Every Child

Every child should know a hill,
And the clean joy of running down its
       long slope
With the wind in his hair.
He should know a tree--
The comfort of its cool lap of shade,
And the supple strength of its arms
Balancing him between earth and sky
So he is the creature of both.
He should know bits of singing water--
The strange mysteries of its depths,
And the long sweet grasses that
       border it.
Every child should know some scrap
Of uninterrupted sky, to shout against;
And have one star, dependable
       and bright,
For wishing on.

       ~ Edna Casler Joll

Old Ships

There is a memory stays upon old ships,
   A weightless cargo in the musty hold,--
Of bright lagoons and prow-caressing lips,
   Of stormy midnights,--and a tale untold.
They have remembered islands in the dawn,
   And windy capes that tried their slender spars,
And tortuous channels where their keels have gone,
   And calm blue nights of stillness and the stars.
Oh, never think that ships forget a shore,
   Or bitter seas, or winds that made them wise;
There is a dream upon them, evermore;
   And there be some who say that sunk ships rise
To seek familiar harbors in the night,
   Blowing in mists, their spectral sails like light.

                                           ~ David Morton

For Transient Things

Let us thank God for unfulfilled desire,
For beauty that escapes our clutch and flies;
Let us thank God for loveliness that dies,
For violet leapings of a dying fire,
For ebbing lives and seas, the fading choir
Of quiet stars, the momentary guise
That love assumes within a lover's eyes
Before it fades with other things that tire.
Better that beauty wear into the night
An inky garment of uncandled hours
Than stay forever robed in festal white,
And so, familiar grown, like flowers
One counts as common weeds, begin to pall--
Better that beauty should not be at all.

                          ~ James A.S. McPeek

Sometimes

SOMETIMES, looking deep into the eyes of a child,
you are conscious of meeting a glance full of wisdom.
The child has known nothing yet but love and beauty--
all this piled-up world knowledge you have acquired
is unguessed at by him. And yet you meet this wonder-
ful look that tells you in a moment more than all the
years of experience have seemed to teach.

                                     ~ Hildegarde Hawthorne

These I've Loved

These I've loved since I was little:
Wood to build with or to whittle,
Wind in the grass and falling rain,
First leaves along an April lane,
Yellow flowers, cloudy weather,
River-bottom smell, old leather,
Fields newly plowed, young corn in
       rows,
Back-country roads and cawing crows,
Stone walls with stiles going over,
Daisies, Queen Anne's lace, and clover,
Night tunes of crickets, frog songs, too,
Starched cotton cloth, the color blue,
Bells that ring from white church
       steeple,
Friendly dogs and friendly people.

            ~ Elizabeth-Ellen Long

The Nuns' Priest's Tale [The Cock and the Hen]

   Once a poor widow, well along the road
To old age, in a little house abode
Beside a forest, standing in a dale.
This widow, of whom I tell you now my tale,
Even since the day when she was last a wife
All patiently had led a simple life;
Small were her earnings and her property,
But what God sent she used with husbandry,
And kept two daughters and herself. Of sows
Three and no more she had about the house,
Also a sheep called Molly, and three kine.
Her sooty hall and bower were nothing fine,
And there full many a slender meal she ate.
No poignant sauce was needed for her plate;
No dainty morsel passed her throat; her fare
Accorded with the clothes she had to wear...
   She had a yard, by stakes well fenced about,
And by a dry ditch girt, that ran without,
And there she kept a cock named Chanticleer;
None in the land at crowing was his peer.
His voice was merrier than the organ's tone
That loud on mass-days in the church is blown,
And surer from his lodge his crowing fell
Than stroke of any clock or abbey bell.
He knew by nature each ascension of
The equinoctial circle arched above,
For when fifteen degrees had been ascended,
He crowed, so that it could not be amended.
His comb was coral-red, and high withal,
And cut in notches, like a castle wall;
Like jet his black bill glittered in the sun,
His legs and toes were azure every one,
No lily-flower could match his nails for white,
And gold was all his body, burnished bright.
This noble cock had under goverance
Seven hens, to do all wholly his pleasance;
Which were his paramours and sisters dear
And in their colors matched him wondrous near;
Of whom she that was fairest-hued of throat
Fairly was called Damoselle Pertelote.
Courteous she was, discreet and debonaire,
Companionable, and bore herself so fair
Even since the day that she was seven nights old,
She hath the heart of Chanticleer in hold--
Locked in each motion, in each graceful limb;
He loved her so, that this was well with him.
But what a joy it was to hear them sing
In sweet accord: "My Love's Gone Journeying"
While the bright sun uprose from out the land,
For this was in the time, I understand,
When all the birds and beasts could sing and speak...

  ~ from The Nuns' Priest's Tale
     Of Chanticleer and Pertelote,
     The Cock and the Hen;
     The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Monk's Tale [Julius Caesar]

By wisdom, manhood, and high work in war,
From humble bed to royal majesty
Julius uprose, the mighty conqueror,
That won the Occident by land and sea
With force, or treaties fashioned skillfully,
And thus to Rome made it all tributary;
And later, emperor of Rome was he
Till fortune turned at length his adversary.

O mighty Caesar, that in Thessaly
Against thy father-in-law, great Pompey, drew,
Who brought from all the east the chivalry
As far as where the day dawns in the blue--
Thou through thy knighthood took them all, or slew,
Save for a remnant that with Pompey fled,
Thus didst thou awe the Orient, and subdue;
Thank Fortune, that so prospered thee and sped!

But now a little while will I lament
Pompey, of Rome the noble governor
That forth in flight after this battle went;
One of his men, a false conspirator,
Smote off his head, and this to Julius bore,
Hoping to win great favor as his friend.
Pompey, alas! the Orient's conqueror,
That Fortune brought thee thus to such an end!

To Rome again went marching Julius,
Laurelled, and riding in a triumph high,
But on a time one Brutus Cassius,
That saw his high estate with jealous eye,
Formed a conspiracy full dark and sly
Against this Julius, in a subtle way,
And fixed the very place where he should die,
Struck down by daggers, as I soon shall say.

Unto the capitol this Julius passed
One day, for there by habit would he go,
And in the capitol they seized him fast,
This Brutus false, and many another foe,
And with their daggers many a grievous blow
They dealt him, and they left him where he fell,
And only once or twice he groaned for woe,
If it is not a lie the legends tell.

So manly was the heart this Julius bore,
And so he loved a noble modesty,
That, though his deadly gashes hurt him sore,
Across his thighs his mantle quietly
He cast, that none his nakedness should see;
For in his dying swoon as he reclined,
And knew his death a certain thing to be,
The thought of modesty was in his mind.
Lucan, to thee this story I commend,
And to Valerian and Suetonius,
That set it down, its substance and its end:
How Fortune with these conquerors did thus
Begin as friend, and then was traitorous.
Let none put trust upon her favor long,
But watch her always. For so teacheth us
The fate of all these conquerors so strong!

 ~ from The Monk's Tale;
    The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Monk's Tale [Alexander the Great]

No conqueror ever lived that could resemble
Or be compared with him in fame and power;
For all this world with fear of him did tremble;
Of knighthood and of freedom was he flower,
And Fortune gave her honor as his dower.
Save wine and women, nothing could assuage
His lust for arms and toil of battle-hour,
So like a lion did his spirit rage.

How could I praise him then, although I told
Of Darius and a hundred thousand more,
Of kings and dukes, of earls and princes bold
He conquered, and what woe through him they bore?
The world was his, as I have said before,
As far as any man could walk or ride;
To tell or write his knightly strength in war
I could not, though forever more I tried.

   ~ from the Monk's Tale,
      The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Monk's Tale [Belshazzar]

"This hand was sent from God, that on the wall
Wrote mene, techel, phares, trust ye me.
Thy reign is done, thou hast no weight at all;
Thy realm is now divided, and shall be
Given to the Medes and Persians," ended he.
And it befell the king was slain that night,
And great Darius took the sovereignty,
Though it was his neither by law nor right.
Lordings, here by example ye perceive
How in a lordship is no steadiness;
For Fortune, when she once decides to leave,
Takes from a man wealth, kingdom, and success,
And friends as well, the greater with the less;
For all the friends that Fortune gathers to one,
Turn foes beneath disaster, I should guess;
This proverb is a common and a true one.

    ~ from The Monk's Tale;
      The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

A Morning Prayer

Another day has come;
   O! help me, God, I pray,
To full forget the bitter things
   That happened yesterday.

And give me strength, Oh Lord,
   Each issue so to meet,
That I may face Thee unashamed
   Before the Judgment seat.

Help me to rule myself
   And kindly let me live,
To all my work, to all mankind,
   My very best to give.

And should, in Thy great plan,
   This day my labors end,
Forgive my sins, my soul receive,
   For Jesus' sake, Amen.

                     ~ Dr. P.B. Hill

Never Alone

I walked the fields alone today;
   I needed time to think and pray . . .
But, nature, artful from the start,
   Soon soothed my troubled mind and heart.
A myriad things were there to see:
   A broken fence, a gnarled old tree;
A butterfly with golden wings,
   A sparrow's nest of sticks and strings;
The ground squirrel's burrow, freshly made;
   The beauty of the sun and shade;
A weed, a bee, a porcupine,
   A pungent honeysuckle vine.
And, as I walked the fields today
   God traveled with me all the way!

              ~ Lerwill Christian Andersen

Sunrise

Night is no match
   for the rays of the sun
That gently push back the dark,
   Then spread 'cross
the vast expanse of the sky
   Awakening the sparrow and lark.

Our souls are like night
   when we know not our God;
It's only when touched by His Son,
   That we truly awaken
to the meaning of life
   And want His will to be done.

                      ~ Margaret Peterson

Believe and Pray

In trial and adversity
Let not your faith grow dim,
But say a fervent prayer to God
And keep your trust in Him.
Let hope not wither on the vine
Of sorrow and despair,
Remember God knows everything
And He is everywhere.
However dark the day may seem
Or frightening the night,
All troubles fade and disappear
And life turns out all right
Provided you maintain your faith
And do not yield to fear
The while you pray for courage with
A heart that is sincere . . .
Resign yourself most humbly now
To do God's holy will
And He will surely bless you and
Your least request fulfill.

         ~ James J. Metcalfe

Take Time to Be Kind

Kindness is a virtue
   given by The Lord,
It pays dividends in happiness
   and joy is its reward . . .
For, if you practice kindness
   in all you say and do,
The Lord will wrap His kindness
   around your heart and you . . .
And wrapped within His kindness
   you are sheltered and secure
And under His direction
   your way is safe and sure.

            ~ Helen Steiner Rice

A Psalm of Gratitude

Sing a psalm of gratitude
   To the Lord on high
Thank Him for His goodness
   In all the years gone by!
Without His Love sustaining
   All life would fade and die,
So sing a psalm of praise and love
   To God Who reigns on high.
All glory, praise, all honor
   To our God be given
Creator of all mankind,
   Great God of earth and heaven.
To You I give my love, my all,
   While life is left in me.
O, let me sing Your praises, Lord,
   With You eternally.

               ~ Rev. Thomas Foy

The Road Before Us

At times we find life's highway
   A rough and weary road
As we strive to balance
   An extra heavy load.

But God will not abandon
   Anyone along the way
Who invokes His providence,
   Nor their confidence betray.

We can follow in His footsteps
   When we do a kindly deed
For a trusting friend or neighbor
   In his humble hour of need.

Life's highway will be fruitful
   If we always keep in sight
The hope and strength within us
   Through His love and guiding light.

           ~ Catherine Janssen Irwin

The Riches From Above

The riches coming from above
are worth their weight in gold,
for joy and peace and faith and love
are things that can't be sold.

For everybody has a gift
of mind and heart and soul,
a gift that gives us all a lift
and makes our spirits whole.

For fame and fortune, wealth and power,
do not contentment bring--
they last a short and fleeting hour
and are a passing thing.

And all the goods that dollars buy
will into dust decay,
but good that comes from God on high
will never pass away.

                      ~ Alvin Finkelstein

We Had Everything

I am one of eleven children.
I was born at Air Bellows.
Three miles south of Whitehead.

We was born right on top
of the Blue Ridge Mountain.
My father's farm
run right along where the Scenic is now.

We enjoyed it.
We had everything.
We had outdors and we had the streams,
and we had all the beauty of God's creation.

We enjoyed it so much.

                ~ NORA C. WAGONER, 1882
                                     Alleghany County

From: Rough Weather Makes Good Timber
                             by Patsy Moore Ginns

The Way Before Me

I know not the way before me,
   But Jesus will guide me still;
And so, in His mercy trusting,
   I patiently wait His will.

I know not the cares or sorrows
   That into my life may fall,
But Jesus, my loving Savior,
   Will give me the grace for all.

I know not the way before me,
   But Jesus my Lord is near,
To shelter, protect and keep me;
   Then why should I doubt or fear?

I know not the way before me,
   But this to my soul is given--
The promise of life eternal,
   A home and a rest in heaven.

                   ~ Fanny Crosby

Desert Sand

My life was a desert full of sand,
The sun burned down to scorch the land,
No vegetation grew in me,
Just stones, and sand, and misery.

But then there came a healing rain:
God set my gloomy heart aflame,
And, from the burning sand, there grew
Green grass, and flowers of every hue.

He watered it with magic love,
And tuned my heart to look above,
And, in the sunshine of His smile,
My empty life became worthwhile.

He caused the sand, once in repose,
In love, to blossom like the rose,
The barren earth to sprout, and grow,
Where e'er His Living Waters flow!

                    ~ W.R. Goodman

God Keeps In Touch

God shows Himself a bit each day
To those who pause along the way
To contemplate a budding rose
Or watch a river as it flows.

He calms our fears and disbelief
By resurrecting every leaf
When spring has come upon the land
And every day is simply grand.

He paints the sunrise day by day
To chase the darkest night away,
Then hangs the stars when day is through
That we might have a wish come true.

Sometimes it rains on our parade
And spoils the plans that we have made,
But soon each storm shall pass us by
And there's His rainbow in the sky!

God keeps in touch with those who seek
His fellowship throughout the week
For all who look shall surely see
His glory and His majesty!

                           ~ Clay Harrison

Life's Mirror

There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave,
   There are souls that are pure and true;
Then give to the world the best you have,
   And the best will come back to you.

Give love, and love to your life will flow,
   A strength in your utmost need;
Have faith, and a score of hearts will show
   Their faith in your word and deed.

Give truth, and your gift will be paid in kind,
   And honor will honor meet,
And a smile that is sweet will surely find
   A smile that is just as sweet.

Give sorrow and pity to those who mourn;
   You will gather in flowers again
The scattered seeds of your thought outborne,
   Though the sowing seemed but vain.

For life is the mirror of king and slave--
   'Tis just what we are and do;
Then give to the world the best you have,
   And the best will come back to you.

                 ~ Madeline Bridges
                    (Mary Ainge DeVere)

A Sure Way to a Happy Day

Happiness is something
   we create in our mind,
It's not something you search for
   and so seldom find--
It's just waking up
   and beginning the day
By counting our blessings
   and kneeling to pray--
It's giving up thoughts
   that breed discontent
And accepting what comes
   as a "gift heaven-sent"--
It's giving up wishing
   for things we have not
And making the best of
   whatever we've got--
It's knowing that life
   is determined for us,
And pursuing our tasks
   without fret, fume or fuss--
For it's by completing
   what God gives us to do
That we find real contentment
   and happiness, too.

           ~ Helen Steiner Rice

One Wish of God

If God would grant me just one wish
   To be enjoyed through life,
I would not ask for wealth or power
   Or comforts, without strife.
I would but ask He touch my heart
   And fill it--for this while--
With just the simple loves I knew
   When I was just a child.

The kind of loves that made each day
   A blessing to behold
And filled my heart with trust and faith
   In Him and human fold,
And this is all that I would ask--
   To make my life sublime:
To live with just this kind of love
   That, once, was yours and mine.

My aging years have proven, well,
   The noblest gift on earth
Is not some gift we take from life
   Of selfish, private worth.
It's what we carry in our hearts
   To share and give away,
Such as the loves we knew--and grew--
   Within our childhood days.

                       ~ Michael Dubina    

The Tide Has Turned

The tide has turned.
The waves only nibble
at the crust of sand
along the shore.

But it will change
again, as do so many
things in life.

And it will keep on
changing until man
recognizes at last,
the unending rhythm
of His Divine plan.

 ~ Diane Denise Lake

Experience

We must live through the weary winter,
   If we would value spring.
And the woods must be cold and silent,
   Before the robins sing.

The flowers must be buried in darkness,
   Before they can bud and bloom.
And the sweetest and warmest sunshine,
   Comes after the storm and gloom.

So the heart, from the hardest trial,
   Gains the purest joy of all.
And from the lips that have tasted sadness,
   The sweetest songs will fall.

For as peace comes after suffering,
   And love is reward of pain,
So, after earth, comes heaven,
   And out of our loss, the gain.

                      ~ Roxie Lusk Smith 

This I Know

I know not why some days are sad
And filled with grief and pain;
But this I know: 'Tho skies be gray
The sun will shine again.

For after winter follows spring
When flowers bloom anew;
And God, in love, is working now
His purposes for you.

Your trials will pass in His own time;
Friend, you will see the sun,
For there awaits a shining dawn
When clouds their work have done.

           ~ Beverly J. Anderson

A Thankful Heart

Take nothing for granted,
   for whenever you do
The "joy of enjoying"
   is lessened for you--
For we rob our own lives
   much more than we know
When we fail to respond
   or in any way show
Our thanks for the blessings
   that daily are ours . . .
The warmth of the sun,
   the fragrance of flowers,
The beauty of twilight,
   the freshness of dawn,
The coolness of dew
   on a green velvet lawn,
The kind little deeds
   so thoughtfully done,
The favors of friends
   and the love that someone
Unselfishly gives us
   in a myriad of ways,
Expecting no payment
   and no words of praise--
Oh, great is our loss
   when we no longer find
A thankful response
   to things of this kind,
For the joy of enjoying
   and the fulness of living
Are found in the heart
   that is filled with thanksgiving.

              ~ Helen Steiner Rice

Today

I shall do so much in the years to come,
   But what have I done today?
I shall give out gold in princely sum,
   But what did I give today?
I shall lift the heart and dry the tear,
I shall plant a hope in the place of fear,
I shall speak with words of love and cheer,
   But what have I done today?
I shall be so kind in the after while,
   But what have I been today?
I shall bring to each lonely life a smile,
   But what have I brought today?
I shall give to truth a grander birth,
And to steadfast faith a deeper worth,
I shall feed the hungering souls of earth,
   But whom have I fed today?

                    ~ Roxie Lusk Smith

Recovery

I'll count the kind of deeds done today
Instead of hurts that come my way.
I'll catch the sunbeams on my sill
And let the clouds move as they will.
I'll listen to a trilling note
And lift the one caught in my throat.

I'll nod and smile at passersby
And not give in to thoughts that cry.
I'll smell the flowers as they bloom
Within, without my living room.
I'll watch the children near the gate
And let their freedom compensate.

I'll count the health I know today
And find tomorrow--as it may . . .
Because my hope and joy shall be
The love of Christ, Who strengthens me.

                ~ Roxie Lusk Smith

Our Master

Immortal Love, forever full,
   Forever flowing free,
Forever shared, forever whole,
   A never-ebbing sea!

Our outward lips confess the Name
   All other names above;
Love only knoweth whence it came,
   And comprehendeth love.

We may not climb the heavenly steeps
   To bring the Lord Christ down:
In vain we search the lowest deeps,
   For Him no depths can drown.

But warm, sweet, tender, even yet
   A present help is He;
And faith has still its Olivet,
   And love its Galilee.

The healing of His seamless dress
   Is by our beds of pain;
We touch Him in life's throng and press,
   And we are whole again.

Through Him the first fond prayers are said
   Our lips of childhood frame,
The last low whispers of our dead
   Are burdened with His name.

O Lord and Master of us all!
   Whate'er our name or sign,
We own Thy sway, we hear Thy call,
   We test our lives by Thine.

              ~ John Greenleaf Whittier

Things That Never Die

The pure, the bright, the beautiful
   That stirred our hearts in youth,
The impulses to wordless prayer,
   The streams of love and truth,
The longing after something lost,
   The spirit's yearning cry,
The striving after better hopes--
   These things can never die.

The timid hand stretched forth to aid
   A brother in his need;
A kindly word in grief's dark hour
   That proves a friend indeed;
The plea for mercy softly breathed,
   When justice threatens high,
The sorrow of a contrite heart--
   These things shall never die.

Let nothing pass, for every hand
   Must find some work to do,
Lose not a chance to waken love--
   Be firm and just and true.
So shall a light that cannot fade
   Beam on thee from on high,
And angel voices say to thee--
   "These things shall never die."

                  ~ Charles Dickens

Better,Wiser and Happier

Do you wish the world were better?
   Let me tell you what to do;
Set a watch upon your actions,
   Keep them always straight and true;
Rid your mind of selfish motives;
   Let your thoughts be clean and high,
You can make a little Eden
   Of the space you occupy.

Do you wish the world were wiser?
   Well, suppose you make a start,
By accumulating wisdom
   In the scrapbook of your heart;
Do not waste one page on folly;
   Live to learn, and learn to live.
If you want to give men knowledge
   You must get it, ere you give.

Do you wish the world were happy?
   Then remember day by day
Just to scatter seeds of kindness
   As you pass along the way;
For the pleasures of the many
   May be ofttimes traced to one,
As the hand that plants an acorn
   Shelters armies from the sun.

               ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

God Is Never Beyond Our Reach

No one ever sought the Father
And found He was not there,
And no burden is too heavy
To be lightened by a prayer,
No problem is too intricate
And no sorrow that we face
Is too deep and devastating
To be softened by His grace,
No trials and tribulations
Are beyond what we can bear
If we share them with our Father
As we talk to Him in prayer--
And men of every color,
Every race and every creed
Have but to seek the Father
In their deepest hour of need--
God asks for no credentials,
He accepts us with our flaws,
He is kind and understanding
And He welcomes us because
We are His erring children
And He loves us everyone,
And He freely and completely
Forgives all that we have done,
Asking only if we're ready
To follow where He leads--
Content that in His wisdom
He will answer all our needs.

         ~ Helen Steiner Rice

Instrument of Peace

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace,
   Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
   Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
   Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not
   Seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
   To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
   It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal
   life.
                     ~ St. Francis of Assisi

Be Strong

Be strong!
We are not here to play,
   to dream, to drift;
We have hard work to do,
   and loads to lift;
Shun not the struggle--face it;
   'tis God's gift.

Be strong!
Say not, "The days are evil.
   Who's to blame?"
And fold the hands and acquiesce--
   oh shame!
Stand up, speak out, and bravely,
   in God's name.

Be strong!
It matters not how deep intrenched
   the wrong,
How hard the battle goes,
   the day how long;
Faint not--fight on! Tomorrow
   comes the song.

      ~ Maltbie Davenport Babcock

Life's Lessons

I learn, as the years roll onward
   And leave the past behind,
That much I had counted sorrow
   But proves that God is kind;
That many a flower I had longed for
   Had hidden a thorn of pain,
And many a rugged bypath
   Led to fields of ripened grain.

The clouds that cover the sunshine
   They can not banish the sun;
And the earth shines out the brighter
   When the weary rain is done.
We must stand in the deepest shadow
   To see the clearest light;
And often thro' wrong's own darkness
   Comes the very strength of light.

The sweetest rest is at even,
   After a wearisome day,
When the heavy burden of labor
   Has born from our hearts away;
And those who have never known sorrow
   Can not know the infinite peace
That falls on the troubled spirit
   When it sees at last release.

We must live thro' the dreary winter
   If we would value the spring;
And the woods must be cold and silent
   Before the robins sing.
The flowers must be buried in darkness
   Before they can bud and bloom,
And the sweetest, warmest sunshine
   Comes after the storm and gloom.

                     ~ John Henry Newman

A Prayer

God grant me kindly thought
   And patience through the day,
And in the things I've wrought,
   Let no man living say
That hate's grim mark has stained
What little joy I've gained.

God keep my nature sweet,
   Teach me to bear a blow,
Disaster and defeat,
   And no resentment show.
If failure must be mine,
Sustain this soul of mine.

God grant me strength to face
   Undaunted day or night;
To stoop to no disgrace
   To win my little fight;
Let me be, when it is o'er,
As manly as before.

           ~ Edgar A. Guest

Look To This Day

Look to this day, for it is life,
The very life of life.
In its brief course lies all
The realities and verities of existence,
The bliss of growth,
The splendor of action,
The glory of power--

For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision.
But today, well lived,
Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day.

                           ~ Sanskrit Proverb

Seasons of the Heart

The heart has many seasons,
Just as this good old earth,
And they all combine together,
To comprise what we are worth.
There is a childhood innocence,
In which we dream and play,
There is a time for growing up,
And making our own way.

There is a time for keeping,
And a time for letting go,
A time for moving swiftly,
and a time for walking slow.
There is a time for learning,
And a time for teaching, too,
and there is time for resting,
When all the chores are through.

We all know joy and sorrow,
'Tis written in the plan,
But Heaven waits beyond life's gates,
For every earnest man.
Each life has many pictures,
And all a work of art,
But what a silver symphony,
. . . The seasons of the heart.

                   ~ Grace E. Easley

The Larger Prayer

At first I prayed for Light:
   Could I but see the way,
How gladly, swiftly would I walk
   To everlasting day!

And next I prayed for Strength:
   That I might tread the road
With firm, unfaltering feet, and win
   The heaven's serene abode.

And then I asked for Faith:
   Could I but trust my God,
I'd live enfolded in His peace,
   Though foes were all abroad.

But now I pray for Love:
   Deep love to God and man,
A living love that will not fail,
   However dark His plan.

And Light and Strength and Faith
   Are opening everywhere;
God only waited for me, till
   I prayed the larger prayer.

                ~ Edna D. Cheney

A Morning Prayer

Let me today do something that will take
   A little sadness from the world's vast store
And may I be so favored as to make
   Of joy's too scanty sum a little more.

Let me not hurt, by any selfish deed
   Or thoughtless word, the heart of foe or
      friend;
Nor would I pass, unseeing, worthy need,
   Or sin by silence when I should defend.

However meager be my worldly wealth,
   Let me give something that shall aid my
      kind --
A word of courage, or a thought of health
   Dropped as I pass for troubled hearts to
      find.

Let me tonight look back across the span
   'Twixt dawn and dark, and to my
      conscience say --
Because of some good act to beast or man --
   "The world is better that I lived today."

                        ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

This Life of Mine

This life of mine can nothing be
If I don't give it, Lord, to Thee;
For only Thou canst see ahead
How rough the way that I must tread.

And, only Thou new life can give
When I have lost the will to live;
When hope has died and dreams have fled,
When o'er the wreck my tears are shed.

Oh, take it, Lord, this life of mine,
And fill it with Thy love divine;
For only Thou dost know the way
That leads me to eternal day!

                       ~ Vera J. Davis

When Evening Comes

Evening is a time to think
   and cast your cares aside;
A time to pray and meditate,
   and in the Lord, confide.

Evening is a time to read,
   write letters to a friend;
A time to sit with family,
   to visit, sew, or mend.

A time to ponder in your mind,
   and think your own thoughts
      through;
A time to cuddle little ones,
   and them, to cuddle you.

Evening is a time to dream,
   and sleep in Holy care,
And trust that God,
      is working nights
   to answer every prayer.

        ~ Roxie Lusk Smith

In the Quiet of the Morning

In the quiet of the morning,
   Oh, how sweet it is to come
Just to talk a bit with Jesus
   Ere the crowding duties come.

Just to kneel there for a moment
   With your head upon His breast,
All your problems laid before Him,
   Every human need confessed.

Oh, the loving strength that surges
   From His heart to yours all day;
Like a bright and shining armour,
   Just because you knelt to pray!

     ~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

Respite

Just beyond the rapids
And then beyond the falls,
Lies a pool of cool, calm water --
Still
Smooth
Tranquil . . .

So it is with life --

Just beyond the crisis
And then beyond the chaos,
Comes an interlude of cool, calm rest --
Peaceful
Soothing
Blessed by God.

        ~ Nancy Neff Dostie

Walking With God

O for a closer walk with God,
   A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
   That leads me to the Lamb!

Where is the blessedness I knew
   When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
   Of Jesus and His word?

What peaceful hours I once enjoy'd!
   How sweet their memory still!
But they have left an aching void,
   The world can never fill.

Return, O holy Dove, return,
   Sweet messenger of rest:
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,
   And drove Thee from my breast.

The dearest idol I have known,
   Whate'er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
   And worship only Thee.

So shall my walk be close with God,
   Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
   That leads me to the Lamb.

                  ~ William Cowper

I Hear the Master Speak

In the song of birds at the break of day,
In the quiet hush before work and play,
In the early morn as I kneel and pray--
    I HEAR THE MASTER SPEAK!

In the budding life of a flowering seed,
In a hand outstretched in a time of need,
In a friendly smile and a thoughtful deed --
    I HEAR THE MASTER SPEAK!

In the fragile beauty of a butterfly,
In the strength of mountains towering high,
In the crimson glow of the evening sky --
    I HEAR THE MASTER SPEAK!

In the merry song of a silver brook,
In the peacefulness of a shady nook,
In a chapter read from God's Holy Book --
    I HEAR THE MASTER SPEAK!

                 ~ Beverly J. Anderson

Fulfillment

Help me, Lord,
to meet this day --
its challenges,
its changes,
its opportunities
to speak of Thee
whose loving care
arranges each transient hour
I live upon
this great
(though troubled) earth,
that when I kneel
at eventide
I'll have been for Thee --
some worth!

~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

Never Borrow Sorrow From Tomorrow

Deal only with the present,
Never step into tomorrow,
For God asks us just to trust Him
And to never borrow sorrow --
For the future is not ours to know
And it may never be,
So let us live and give our best
And give it lavishly --
For to meet tomorrow's troubles
Before they are even ours
Is to anticipate the Saviour
And to doubt His all-wise powers --
So let us be content to solve
Our problems one by one,
Asking nothing of tomorrow
Except "Thy Will be done."

             ~ Helen Steiner Rice

Something of God

Something of God pours into me
    from the blue of the sky above
    from the song of a bird,
    the red of the rose,
    the touch of the hand I love.

Something of God pours into me
    from the ocean's tidal roar
    as I stand alone
    on the windswept sand
    and watch the sea gull soar.

Something of God pours into me
    from the mountains capped with snow,
    from the pine trees
    swaying gently
    as the summer breezes blow.

There's something of God in everything,
    and in everyone we see,
    I pray for the grace
    to see Him in others
    and hope they will see Him in me.

                             ~ Leah Zink

Soaring

Sometimes God takes away our props
   that we might lean on Him,
allows temptations so we'll grow
   and triumph over sin.
Sometimes He takes away our strength
   for doing earthly things,
to rest our bodies that our souls
   may soar on eagle's wings
to heights ne'er dreamed
   when busy-ness did all our vision fill.
Let's not resent it when He says
   "Come ye apart--Be still",
nor chafe at disappointments
   and unexplained delays;
but keep on soaring 'neath His wings
   with gratitude and praise!

           ~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

Nobility

True worth is in being, not seeming, --
   In doing, each day that goes by,
Some little good--not in dreaming
   Of great things to do by and by.

For whatever men say in their blindness,
   And spite of the fancies of youth,
There's nothing so kingly as kindness,
   And nothing so royal as truth.

We get back our mete as we measure --
   We cannot do wrong and feel right,
Nor can we give pain and gain pleasure,
   For justice avenges each slight.

We cannot make bargains for blisses,
   Nor catch them like fishes in nets;
And sometimes the thing our life misses
   Helps more than the thing which it gets.

For good lieth not in pursuing,
   Nor gaining of great nor of small,
But just in the doing, and doing
  As we would be done by, is all.

                              ~ Alice Cary

Ours for Free

So many things in life are far
Beyond our meager means,
A long hoped for vacation,
Just for a change of scenes.
A penthouse with a terrace
That boasts a lovely view,
A cottage by the sea side,
. . . Just dreams for me and you.

And yet there is so much within
This world we can afford,
We all should welcome each new day,
And no one should be bored.
For while it's true we might not get
To see a foreign land,
Or sail across the ocean,
There's something just as grand,

And every bit as beautiful,
Within each passing day,
That only costs us something,
. . . If we let it slip away.
Very much within our reach,
And meant for us to share,
Once-in-a-lifetime moments,
Encountered everywhere.

A tender smile, a gentle touch,
Night wind through the trees,
Sunrise, sunset, autumn leaves,
What can compare with these?
Flowers by a raodside,
A treasured memory,
I think the very best in life,
Is what God gives for free.

         ~ Grace E. Easley

Heart Gifts

It's not the things that can be bought
   that are life's richest treasure,
It's just the little "heart gifts"
   that money cannot measure . . .

A cheerful smile, a friendly word,
   a sympathetic nod
Are priceless little treasures
   from the storehouse of our God . . .

They are the things that can't be bought
   with silver or with gold,
For thoughtfulness and kindness
   and love are never sold . . .

They are the priceless things in life
   for which no one can pay,
And the giver finds rich recompense
   in giving them away.

           ~ Helen Steiner Rice

Light Shining Out of Darkness

God moves in a mysterious way
   His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
   And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
   Of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs,
   And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
   The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
   In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
   But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
   He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
   Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
   But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
   And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
   And He will make it plain.

             ~ William Cowper

When Winter Comes

When winter comes into our lives
    With its uncertain sound,
To strip us of our warmth and joy,
    Our petals on the ground,
We may be tempted to give up;
    To fold beneath life's storm.
We may be tempted to forsake
    The hope which keeps us warm.
But, we must learn to stand up tall;
    To always face the sun
And patiently await the day
    When winter's work is done.
For winter winds will cease to howl,
    The snows will melt away,
Then we shall see the beauty of
    Another summer's day.
And we will have renewed our strength
    When summer's wind first blows,
For God will whisper once again
    The promise of a rose.

                  ~ Glenda Fulton Davis

What I Live For

I live for those who love me,
    Whose hearts are kind and true;
For the Heaven that smiles above me,
    And awaits my spirit too;

For all human ties that bind me,
For the task by God assigned me,
For the bright hopes yet to find me,
    And the good that I can do.

I live to hold communion
    With all that is divine,
To feel there is a union
    'Twixt Nature's heart and mine;
To profit by affliction,
Reap truth from fields of fiction,
Grow wiser from conviction,
    And fulfill God's grand design.

I live for those who love me,
    For those who know me true;
For the heaven that smiles above me,
    And awaits my spirit too;
For the cause that lacks assistance,
For the wrong that needs resistance,
For the future in the distance,
    And the good that I can do.

              ~ G. Linnaeus Banks

Today's Scripture [2-1-13]

   And the men [angels] rose up from thence, and
looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with
them to bring them on the way.
   And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham
that thing which I do;
   Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a
great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the
earth shall be blessed in him?
   For I know him, that he will command his child-
ren and his household after him, and they shall
keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and
judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abra-
ham that which he hath spoken of him.
   And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom
and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is
very grievous;
   I will go down now, and see whether they have
done altogether according to the cry of it, which is
come unto me; and if not, I will know.
   And the men [angels] turned their faces from
thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham
stood yet before the LORD.
   And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt Thou
also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
   Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the
city: wilt Thou also destroy and not spare the place
for the fifty righteous that are therein?
   That be far from Thee to do after this manner,
to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the
righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from
Thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
   And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty
righteous within the city, then I will spare all the
place for their sakes. . .
   Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty
righteous: wilt Thou destroy all the city for lack
of five? And He said, If I find there forty and five,
I will not destroy it. . .
   Peradventure there shall be forty found there.
And He said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
   And he said unto Him, Oh let not the Lord be
angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall
thirty be found there, And He said, I will not do it,
if I find thirty there. . .
   Peradventure there shall be twenty found there.
and He said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
   And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and
I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten
shall be found there. And He said, I will not de-
stroy it for ten's sake.
   And the LORD went His way, as soon as He had
left communing with Abraham: and Abraham re-
turned unto his place.

                       ~ Genesis 18:16-26, 28-33
  
  
  

The Perfect Song

One perfect song our hearts can sing,
   One air that's crystal-clear,
One melody of love sublime
   With charm for every ear.

One perfect song our tongues can frame
   Of goodness, deep and true,
Of seeking and of sacrifice,
   Of mercy, ever new.

O Christ, our singing is of Thee;
   To Thee our hearts belong;
Thou art that perfect melody
   Of life's triumphant song.

           ~ Marion Schoeberlein

Today's Scripture [1-31-13]

   And the LORD appeared unto him [Abraham]
in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door
in the heat of the day;
   And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo,
three men stood by him: and when he saw them,
he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bow-
ed himself toward the ground, . . .
   And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy
wife? and he said, Behold, in the tent.
   And He said, I will certainly return unto thee
according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy
wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the
tent door, which was behind him.
   Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well
stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah
after the manner of women.
   Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, say-
ing, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure,
my lord being old also?
   And the LORD said unto Abraham, Where-
fore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety
bear a child, which am old?
   Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the
time appointed I will return unto thee, according
to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
   Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for
she was afraid. And He said, Nay; but thou didst
laugh.

                   ~ Genesis 18:1,2, 9-15 KJV

Summer Heart

There's frost upon the windowpanes,
The trees are grey and bare,
And icy winds play hide-and-seek
With winter everywhere.
Crisp brown leaves move restlessly,
In ever-changing heaps,
But safe and warm within my heart,
The summer gently sleeps.
And so it is within our lives,
Whose years are like the seasons,
Sometimes sunny . . . sometimes bleak,
The dear Lord has His reasons.
But if we learn to set aside
A little seed or two,
Of happiness, then it will bloom
Long after summer's through.
And if we gather to ourselves
What time cannot destroy,
Every single day we live,
Will hold a bit of joy.
Not in getting, but in giving,
Lies the secret of it all,
Not in wishing or in wanting
What is far beyond recall.
But in using to the fullest,
Every grace that God bestows,
And in trusting to His judgment,
. . . Turns a thorn into a rose.
So no matter what the season,
Or whatever skies above,
It's always summer in the heart,
With room enough for love.
           
                 ~ Grace E. Easley

Today's Scripture [1-30-13]

   And when Abram was ninety years old and
nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said
unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before
me, and be thou perfect.
   And I will make my covenant between me and
thee, and will  multiply thee exceedingly.
   And Abram fell on his face: and God talked
with him, saying,
   As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee,
and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
   Neither shall thy name any more be called
Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a
father of many nations have I made thee.
   And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and
I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come
out of thee.
   And I will establish my covenant between me
and thee and thy seed after thee in their genera-
tions for an everlasting covenant, to be a God
unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
   And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after
thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the
land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession;
and I will be their God.
   And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep
my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after
thee in their generations.
   This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, be-
tween me and you and thy seed after thee; Every
man child among you shall be circumcised. . .
   And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy
wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but
Sarah shall her name be.
   And I will bless her, and give thee a son also
of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a
mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
   Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed,
and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto
him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah,
that is ninety years old, bear?
   And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael
might live before thee!
   And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a
son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac:
and I will establish my covenant with him for an
everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
   And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold,
I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful,
and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes
shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
   But my covenant will I establish with Isaac,
which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time
in the next year.

                   ~ Genesis 17:1-10, 15-21 KJV
  

Barter

Life has loveliness to sell,
    All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
    Soaring fire that sways and sings
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
    Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
    Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
    Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
    Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.

                    ~ Sara Teasdale

Today's Scripture [1-29-13]

   Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bare him no child-
ren: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian,
whose name was Hagar.
   And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the
LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray
thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may
obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened
to the voice of Sarai.
   And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her
maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten
years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her
husband Abram to be his wife.
   And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived:
and when she saw that she had conceived, her
mistress was despised in her eyes.
   And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be up-
on thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom;
and when she saw that she had conceived, I was
despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between
me and thee.
   But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid
is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And
when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from
her face.
   And the angel of the LORD found her by a
fountain of water in the wilderness, . . .
   And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence
camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And
she said, I flee from the face of my mistress
Sarai.
   And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Re-
turn to thy mistress, and submit thyself under
her hands.
   And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I
will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall
not be numbered for multitude.
   And the angel of the LORD said unto her,
Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a
son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because
the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
   And he will be a wild man; his hand will be
against every man, and every man's hand a-
gainst him; and he shall dwell in the presence
of all his brethren. . .
   And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram
called his son's name, which Hagar bare,
Ishmael.
   And Abram was fourscore and six years old,
when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
  
              ~ Genesis 16:1-12, 15,16 KJV