Gleams of Sunshine Optimistic Poems

Excerpt

INVOCATION

O Thou, who art the source of joy and light,

The great Revealer of the will Divine;

Thyself Divine, all nature owns Thy might,

And bows in homage at a beck of Thine,

Afford me light to guide my unskilled hand,

And by Thy Spirit all my thoughts command.

To Thy great name I dedicate my powers,

Yielding to Thee what Thou with blood hast bought,

Resolved that Thou shalt have my days and hours,

And for Thy sake shall every work be wrought;

O deign to use me, if it be Thy will,

And my poor heart with love and gladness fill.

If this strange impulse which I feel within

To write this book proceeds, O Lord, from Thee,

Let it not die, nor be defiled by sin,

But let the work from self and sin be free,

And prove a guide to home and bliss above,

And help to fill this warring world with love.

The Master's touch I know it sadly lacks,

And may not please the nice artistic taste

Of some fine mind that naught but gold attracts;

Some may not count these iron-filings waste;

Like magnets, to which gold will not adhere,

May they find ore in this to bless and cheer.

In this plain pitcher, Lord, Thy blessing pour,

That from it men their raging thirst may slake,

And when exhausted is the scanty store,

Then let the earthen vessel quickly break;

Its end is gained if Thou art glorified,

And men have learned to love the Christ who died.

As flowers drink in the solar rays and dew,

And in return give bloom and odors sweet,

So would I to Thy Spirit's touch prove true,

And render that return which seemeth meet;

Come, dews of grace! Great Sun, illume my heart!

That I to some sad soul may joy impart.

FATHER OF UNIVERSAL MAN

Father of Universal Man,

Where'er in this wide world he roam,

Not known to thee by kith or clan,

Nor height, nor breadth of mental dome,

Nor babbling tongue, nor sounding creed,

But by his woe and common need.

The pushing Anglo-Saxon race,

The Celts with wealth of heart and mind,

The Esquimaux of leaden face,

The Arabs whom no chain can bind,

With hardy Boers and all the rest,

Are with one common Father blest.

And all are brothers, though at times

Our flashing swords obscure the sun.

We ring aloud our Christmas chimes,

But louder sounds the booming gun,

And brother is by brother slain,

And kindred ties are rent in twain.

Yet Thou art true whate'er betide;

Thy heart o'er human woe doth melt;

For men of every race Christ died,

And, as a zone, Thy love would belt

All human kind from pole to pole

Into one grand, harmonious whole.

Men war with men in every clime,

Commotions rock this earthly ball;

Our souls are covered o'er with grime—

Sad fruits of our Adamic fall,

But grace shall triumph in the end,

And good the evil far transcend.

Thy throne remains forever firm,

And here, amidst the strife of men,

We find with joy a heavenly germ

Which shall re-stock this world again

With fruitful plants of righteousness,

If Thou, O God, but deign to bless.

Help us that we may not deny

Our brotherhood in hour of strife;

When swords shall from their scabbards fly,

And great the sacrifice of life,

May we in pity o'er them bend,

And help to wounded foe extend....