Poems of Gratitude by Varied. (2/2)
Title: Poems of Gratitude.
Author: George Gordon - Lord Byron, Rainer Mariak Rilke (translated by A. Poulin Jr.), William Wordsworth, Emily Brontë, Algernon Charles Swinburne, Horace (translated by Debora Greger), Henry Timrod, Ben Jonson, Robert Herrick, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Shakespeare, Dinah Maria Craik, Om Ui-Gil (translated by Kim Jong-Gil), William Wordsworth, Charles Lamb, Primo Levi (translated by Ruth Feldman and Brian Swann), Po Chu-I (translated by Arthur Waley), Edward Hirsch, Franz Wright, Jane Kenyon, Czeslaw Milosz (translated by Renata Gorczynski and Robert Hass), John Milton, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Nicholas Christopher, Emily Fragos, Jane Hirshfield, John Dryden, Christopher Smart, Tall Kia Ahni (interpreted by Louis Watchman), Francis Jammes (translated by Richard Wilbur), J.D. McClatchy, Charles Wright, Joy Harjo, Wendell Berry, Matthew Arnold, Edwin Markham, Rudyard Kipling, Stephen Crane, Mary Oliver, Queen Lili'Uokalani of Hawaii, Gary Soto, Maya Angelou, John Newton, St. Francis of Assisi, Laozi (translated by Chungliang Al Huang), Venerable Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, King James Bible, Qur'an translated by Shaykha Halima Krausen, Jewish prayer translated by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Rabindranath Tagore, William Cowper, John Donne, Walt Whitman, James Weldon Johnson, Marina Tsvetaeva (translated by Elaine Feinstein), Langston Hughes, Henry Vaughan, Emily Dickinson, The Buddha, Taditional Iroquois translated by Harriet Maxwell Converse, X.J. Kennedy, Campbell McGrath, Paul Zimmer, Lydia Maria Child, Billy Collins, Shel Silverstein, Henry Alford, John Greenleaf Whittier, Carl Sandburg, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Frost and John Keats (compiled and edited by Emily Fragos).
Genre: Poetry, literature, animals, religion, nature.
Country: England, Austria, Ancient Rome, Italy, France, India, Wales, Scotland.
Language: English, German, Ancient Roman, Italian, Navajo, Aztec, French, Iroquois.
Publication Date: 6th BC, 1609, 1610, 1616, 1640, 1650, 1673, 1772, 1779, 1798, 1806, 1807, 1820, 1831, 1833, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1856, 1859, 1865, 1875, 1877, 1880, 1885, 1891, 1894, 1898, 1899, 1910, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1923, 1968, 1974, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2015 (this collection 2017).
Summary: A collection of 168 poems (some being extracts from larger bodies of work), on the topic of gratitude, and divided into 9 sub-categories. (Poems 85-168 in this post, refer to PART 1 for 1-84). FOR FRIENDSHIP: L'Amitié est L'amour sans Ailes (1806) by George Gordon, Lord Byron is a poem describing friendship as being romantic love without wings. O My Friends (?~1885-1926) by Rainer Maria Rilke (translated by A. Poulin Jr.) is a pondering on the line between strangers and friends. Travelling (1807) by William Wordsworth recalls happy hours spent with a loved friend in nature. Love and Friendship (1846) by Emily Brontë compares love and friendship. From To a Cat (1894) by Algernon Charles Swinburne is an extract and an ode to a cat, a superior pet. Tradition (??) by Anonymous is a traditional Aztec poem about the beauty of friendship. Odes I.36 (23BC) by Horus is an ode of gratitude for a friend. Sonnet: I Thank You (1859) by Henry Timrod is a thanksgiving to a beloved friend. Inviting a Friend to Supper (1616) by Ben Jonson is an invitation to dinner and a jovial evening to a friend. Meat Without Mirth (1648) by Robert Herrick is a poem about a supper not really being enjoyable without friends to share it with. Forbearance (1847) by Ralph Waldo Emerson speaks of an ideal person and friend. Sonnet 30 (1609) by William Shakespeare is a sonnet of a remembrance of a dear friend, that takes away all sadness. Friendship (1859) by Dinah Maria Craik is an excerpt from a novel A Life for a Life, about feeling safe with a friend. Sitting at Night (?~17th century) by Om Ui-Gil (translated by Kim Jong-Gil) is a poem about a visit from a friend. "Rest and Be Thankful": At the Head of Glencoe (1831) by William Wordsworth is a poem inspired by a walk with friends at Glencoe Mountains in Scotland. The Old Familiar Faces (1798) by Charles Lamb is an elegy to a childhood and the phantoms that haunt the poet from it. To My Friends (1985) by Primo Levi is a poem about connections between human beings, regardless of their tenuousness. FOR HEALTH: Being Visited by a Friend During Illness (?~782-846) by Po Chu-I (translated by Arthur Waley is a poem of a slow recovery from illness. Recovery (1985) by Edward Hirsch is a subtle poem about recovering from a tragedy. One Heart (2003) by Franz Wright is a thanksgiving to God for a content and healthy life. Otherwise (1995) by Jane Kenyon is a poem that calls for gratitude for sound health and ability while one still possesses it, and until such time one does not. In A Mistake (1988) by Czeslaw Milosz (translated by Renata Gorczynski and Robert Hass), the poet contemplates the beauty of the world while watching the small pleasures a paraplegic gets out of being out in the sun. In On His Blindness (1673) by John Milton, the poet writes of his experience of blindness, and what greater purpose God intends for him through it. "My Own Heart Let Me More Have Pity On" (1885) by Gerard Manley Hopkins gestures toward a sense of relief from the mental and spiritual anguish that had been plaguing the poet. After a Long Illness (1995) by Nicholas Christopher is a poem about the feeling of well-being, lightness, and relief once feels after recovering from a long illness. After Dürer (2015) by Emily Fragos is a poem inspired by a famous engraved drawing by Albrecht Dürer, Melencolia I. Spell to Be Said After Illness (1994) by Jane Hirshfield is a prayer after illness. FOR NATURE: Pied Beauty (1877) by Gerard Manley Hopkins is a poem in which the poet praises God for the variety of "dappled things" in nature, but for remaining immutable himself. "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" (1807) by William Wordsworth was inspired by an event in which Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy came across a "long belt" of daffodils. Of Many Worlds in This World (?~1641-1700) by John Dryden is a poem about the possibility of worlds existing inside other worlds, and minuscule things like atoms in nature. From Jubilante Agno: A Poem from Bedlam (1759-63) by Christopher Smart is an excerpt from a longer religious poem the poet wrote while holding a "Commission of Lunacy" and committed to St. Luke's Hospital with no one for company but a cat. War God's Horse Song (?) by Anonymous (words by Tall Kia Ahni, interpreted by Louis Watchman) is a traditional Navajo poem is a praise of a horse and peace. A Prayer to Go to Paradise with the Donkeys: To Màire and Jack (1898) by Francis Jammes (translated by Richard Wilbur) is a prayer to be allowed to enter Paradise among the loyal and gentle donkeys. "See Yonder Leafless Trees Against the Sky" (1833) by Ralph Waldo Emerson marvels at the beauty of a leafless tree. Weeds (1990) by J.D. McClatchy marvels at the way weeds fight their way through the toughest surfaces to bring beauty to the world. The Evening is Tranquil, and Dawn is a Thousand Miles Away (2008) by Charles Wright is a poem of a beautiful evening in nature. Eagle Poem (1990) by Joy Harjo speaks about praying to the beauty and magnificence of nature. The Peace of Wild Things (1968) by Wendell Berry speaks of how the poet goes to rejuvenate his energy in nature when he feels overwhelmed by the world. Patience Taught by Nature (1845) by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a poem that speaks of wishing to learn patience from nature, particularly a blade of grass that grows slowly. From Thyrsis (1865) by Matthew Arnold is an excerpt from a poem that commemorates his friend Arthur Hugh Clough, who had died at the age of 42. The Cricket (1899) by Edwin Markham describes a cricket and a slow coming of day. Seal Lullaby (1894) by Rudyard Kipling is a lullaby for a seal. Little Birds of the Night (?~1881-1900) by Stephen Crane is a poem about adorable nocturnal birds. Wild Geese (2004) by Mary Oliver is a poem that compares nature's condition to the human condition through wild geese. Ku'u Pua I Paoakalani (My Flower at Paoakalani) (?~1848-1917) by Queen Lili'Uokalani of Hawaii praises the native flowers of the poet. Ode to a Day in the Country (1992) by Gary Soto expresses love and joy for country scenes. REVERENCE: Father, We Thank Thee (?1813-1882) by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a thanksgiving to God for all of life's gifts. Prayer (2006) by Maya Angelou is a prayer to God for all the disenfranchised and the forgotten. Ghanaian Prayer (?20th century) by Anonymous is a traditional Ghanaian prayer for one's parents. Amazing Grace (1772) by John Newton is a poem written to a hymn about God's boundless love and grace. "Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace" (?1191-1226) by St. Francis of Assisi is a prayer that asks God to use one as a proponent of peace on earth. God's Grandeur (1877) by Gerard Manley Hopkins is a celebratory poem that suggests that God has imbued nature with an eternal freshness that is able to withstand the heavy burden of humanity. Psalm 23 (?~1000BC) by Anonymous (from The Holy Bible, King James Version) was used in worship by the ancient Hebrews and describes God as one's shepherd, in the role of protector and provider. From Tao Te Ching (?~531BC) (translated by Chungliang Al Huang) is an excerpt from the ancient Chinese text that encourages one to follow the way of the Tao and the Way of Nature. Buddhist Prayer (2012) by Venerable Dhammananda Bhikkhuni is a Buddhist prayer. The Qur'an 1:1-7 (~609-632) (translated by Shaykha Halima Krausen) is an excerpt that asks for guidance from God. Shema Koleinu (?) (translated by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg) is an ancient Jewish prayer for a day of atonement. From The Vedas (?) is an extract that defines and prays for peace. From Gitanjali (1910) by Rabindranath Tagore is an excerpt that calls upon grace in difficult times. African Canticle (?) by Anonymous is an African prayer that calls to bless all things, large and small. Light Shining Out of Darkness (1779) by William Cowper is a hymn about the mysterious ways in which God works. From The Holy Sonnets: 5 (1609-1610) by John Donne is an excerpt that talks of redemption from sin. Miracles (1856) by Walt Whitman is a poem that professes that everything that surrounds one in the world is a miracle. Prayer at Sunrise (1917) by James Weldon Johnson is a prayer at sunrise that give thanks for the new day and all its fresh wonders. «Бог согнулся от заботы…» (Bent with Worry) (1916), Марина Ивановна Цветаева (Marina Tsvetaeva, translated by Elaine Feinstein) is a poem about loving God's angels more than God himself. Prayer (?1920-1967) by Langston Hughes encourages the compassion and pity for the poor, unfortunate, and downtrodden. A Vision (1650) by Henry Vaughan is a poem about a man who encounters eternity. "Ample Make This Bed" (1891) by Emily Dickinson is a eulogy that compares making a bed to blessing a grave. "Now May Every Living Thing (6th BC) by the Buddha blesses every living thing with bliss. THANKSGIVING: The Thanksgivings (?), translated by Harriet Maxwell Converse, is a traditional Iroquois poem about giving thanks to all around one, as well as the Great Spirit. At the First Thanksgiving: Plymouth, 1621 (1985) by X.J. Kennedy describes the thanks given at the first Thanksgiving, and the harsh environments in which it was celebrated. What They Ate (1989) by Campbell McGrath describes what was eaten at the first Thanksgiving. A Romance for the Wild Turkey (2007) by Paul Zimmer is an ode to the wild turkey. The New-England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day (1844) by Lydia Maria Child are a children's poem celebrating the beauty and fun of Thanksgiving day from a child's point of view. The Gathering from Two Thanksgiving Poems (2009) by Billy Collins is about a family gathering missing a loved one. Point of View (1974) by Shel Silverstein is a poem that asks people to view the holidays from a turkey's point of view. Harvest Home (1844) by Henry Alford is a harvest festival hymn. Harvest Hymn (?1820-1892) by John Greenleaf Whittier is an ode to Thanksgiving. Harvest Sunset (1918) by Carl Sandburg is a poem about a sunset after working on the fields. The Harvest Moon (1875) by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow praises the harvest moon and celebrates the nature of autumn. Farewell to the Farm (1885) by Robert Louis Stevenson is poem about kids leaving the farm (and childhood) behind for the big city. Spring and Fall, To a Young Child (1880) by Gerard Manley Hopkins likens a little girl’s sorrow at the waning of summer to the larger, tragic nature of human life. Nothing Gold Can Stay (1923) by Robert Frost is a poem about the transience and impermanence of everything. To Autumn (1820) by John Keats is a poem that describes the beauty of autumn and its nature.
My rating: 8/10.
My review:
♥ I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
..For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And danced with the daffodils.
~~from "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth.
♥ Just like as in a nest of boxes round,
Degrees of sizes in each box are found:
So, in this world, may many others be
Thinner and less, and less still by degree:
Although they are not subject to our sense,
A world may be no bigger than two-pence.
Nature is curious, and such works may shape,
Which our dull senses easily escape:
For creatures, small as atoms, may be there,
If every one a creature's figure bear.
If atoms four, a world can make, then see
What several worlds might in an ear-ring be:
For, millions of these atoms may be in
The head of one small, little, single pin.
And if thus small, then ladies may well wear
A world of worlds, as pendents in each ear.
~~Of Many Worlds in This World by John Dryden.
♥ For having done duty and received blessing he begins to consider himself.
For this he performs in ten degrees.
For first he looks upon his fore-paws to see if they are clean.
For secondly he kicks up behind to clear away there.
For thirdly he works it upon stretch with the fore-paws extended.
For fourthly he sharpens his paws by wood.
For fifthly he washes himself.
For sixthly he rolls upon wash.
For seventhly he fleas himself, that he may not be interrupted upon the beat.
For eighthly he rubs himself against a post.
For ninthly he looks up for his instructions.
For tenthly he goes in quest of food.
For having consider'd God and himself he will consider his neighbour.
For if he meets another cat he will kiss her in kindness.
For when he takes his prey he plays with it to give it a chance.
For one mouse in seven escapes by his dallying.
For when his day's work is done his business more properly begins.
For he keeps the Lord's watch in the night against the adversary.
For he counteracts the powers of darkness by his electrical skin and glaring eyes.
For he counteracts the Devil, who is death, by brisking about the life.
For in his morning orisons he loves the sun and the sun loves him.
For he is of the tribe of Tiger.
♥ For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest.
For there is nothing brisker than his life when in motion.
♥ For he can set up with gravity which is patience upon approbation.
♥ For he is hated by the hypocrite and miser.
For the former is afraid of detection.
For the latter refuses the charge.
For he camels his back to bear the first motion of business.
For he is good to think on, if a man would express himself neatly.
For he made a great figure in Egypt for his signal services.
~~from Jubilate Agno (A Poem from Bedlam) by Christopher Smart.
♥ My horse with a mane made of short rainbows.
My horse with ears made of round corn.
My horse with eyes made of big stars.
My horse with a head made of mixed waters.
My horse with teeth made of white shell.
The long rainbow is in his mouth for a bridle & with it I guide him.
When my horse neighs, different-colored horses follow.
When my horse neighs, different-colored sheep follow.
I am wealthy because of him.
Before me peaceful
Behind me peaceful
Under me peaceful
Over me peaceful -
Peaceful voice when he neighs.
I am everlasting & peaceful.
I stand by my horse.
~~from War God's Horse Song, Navajo traditional (words by Tall Kia Ahni, interpreted by Louis Watchman).
♥ I'll take my walking-stick and go my way,
And to my friends the donkeys I shall say,
"I am Francis Jammes, and I'm going to Paradise,
For there is no hell in the land of the loving God."
And I'll say to them: "Come, sweet friends of the blue skies,
Poor creatures who with a flap of the ears or a nod
Of the head shake off the buffets, the bees, the flies..."
Let me come with these donkeys, Lord, into your land,
These beasts who bow their heads so gently, and stand
With their small feet joined together in a fashion
Utterly gentle, asking your compassion.
I shall arrive, followed by their thousands of ears..
~~from A Prayer to Go to Paradise with the Donkeys by Francis Jammes (translated by Richard Wilbur).
♥ To pray you open your whole self
To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can't see, can't hear
Can't know except in moments
Steadily growing, and in languages
That aren't always sound but other
Circles of motion.
Like eagle that Sunday morning
Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky
In wind, swept our hearts clean
With sacred wings.
We see you, see ourselves and know
That we must take the utmost care
And kindness in all things.
Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
We are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon, within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us.
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.
In beauty.
~~Eagle Poem by Joy Harjo.
♥ ..O thou God of old!
Grant me some smaller grace than comes to these; -
But so much patience, as a blade of grass
Grows by contented through the heat and cold.
~~from Patience Taught by Nature by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
♥ So, some tempestuous morn in early June,
When the year's primal burst of bloom is o'er,
Before the roses and the longest day -
When garden-walks and all the grassy floor
With blossoms red and white of fallen May
And chestnut-flowers are strewn -
So have I heard the cuckoo's parting cry,
From the wet field, through the vexed garden-trees,
Come with the volleying rain and tossing breeze:
The bloom is gone, and with the bloom go I!
~~from Thyrsis by Matthew Arnold.
♥ Now as the noisy hours are coming - hark!
His song dies gently - it is growing dark -
His night, with its one star, is on the way!
Faintly the light breaks over the blowing oats -
Sleep, little brother, sleep: I am astir.
We worship Song, and servants are of her -
I in the bright hours, thou in shadow-time:
Lead thou the starlit night with merry notes,
And I will lead the clamoring day with rhyme.
~~from The Cricket by Edwin Markham.
♥ Oh, hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us,
And black are the waters that sparkled so green.
The moon, o'er the combers, looks downward to find us
At rest in the hollows that rustle between.
Where billow meets billow, there soft be thy pillow;
Ah, weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease!
The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee,
Asleep in the arms of the slow-swinging seas.
~~Seal Lullaby by Rudyard Kipling.
♥ You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
~~from Wild Geese by Mary Oliver.
♥ We love sheep.
We love the fatness
Of wool, the itch
Of something warm to wear.
So man tugs on a sock,
And this is sheep.
Some woman puts on a coat,
And this is sheep.
So child slips on a hat,
And this is sleep.
We're closer to the country
Than we think,
As close as a snowy fingertip
Of glove on the table,
The frayed knot of a robe
In the closet,
The musty sleeve of a sweater
Sleeping with its arms crossed
In a drawer.
We love these sheep.
They stood for us,
Heavy with wool,
As they moved like a dirty cloud
Over the hill
Where the rain last fell.
~~from Ode to a Day in the Country by Gary Soto.
♥ Father Mother God, thank You for Your
presence during the hard and mean days.
For then we have You to lean upon.
Thank You for Your presence during the
bright and sunny days, for then we can
share that which we have with those who
have less.
♥ Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of
substance, we ask You to give to all the
world that which we need most - Peace.
Amen
~~from Prayer by Maya Angelou.
♥ Amazing grace, How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come,
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.
~~Amazing Grace by John Newton.
♥ Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
When there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
When there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that
I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
Not so much to be understood as
To understand; not so much to be
Loved as to love:
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned;
It is in dying, that we awaken to eternal life.
~~"Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace by St. Francis of Assisi (translated by Anonymous).
♥ The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
~~from God's Grandeur by Gerard Manley Hopkins.
♥ The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he
leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name's sake.
Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of
mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the
days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of
the Lord for ever.
~~Psalm 25 from The Holy Bible, King James Version.
♥ May I always follow the Way of Earth,
Follow the Way of Heaven,
Follow the Way of Tao, follow the Way of Nature.
So that in Heaven, Human, Earth can become ONE
Harmonious Whole.
Love and harmony pervade, and Peace on Earth for
ALL.
~~from Tao Te Ching by Laozi (translated by Chungliang Al Huang).
♥ When tumultuous work raises its din on all sides
shutting me out from beyond, come to me, my
lord of silence, with thy peace and rest.
When my beggarly heart sits crouched, shut up in a
corner, break open the door, my king, and come
with the ceremony of a king.
When desire blinds the mind with delusion and dust,
O thou holy one, thou wakeful, come with thy
light and thy number.
~~from Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore.
♥ 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 ev'ry hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow'r.
Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
~~Light Shining Out of Darkness.
♥ These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,
The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.
To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,
Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.
To me the sea is a continual miracle,
The fishes that swim - the rocks - the motion of the waves - the ships with me in them,
What stranger miracles are there?
~~from Miracles by Walt Whitman.
♥ Now thou art risen, and thy day begun.
How shrink the shrouding mists before thy face,
As up thou spring'st to thy diurnal race!
How darkness chases darkness to the west,
As shades of light on light rise radiant from thy crest!
For thee, great source of strength, emblem of might,
In hours of darkest gloom there is no night.
Thou shines on though clouds hide thee from sight,
And through each break thou sendest down thy light.
O greater Maker of this Thy great sun,
Give me the strength this one day's race to run,
Fill me with light, fill me with sun-like strength,
Fill me with joy to rob the day its length.
Light from within, light that will outward shine,
Strength to make strong some weaker heart than mine,
Joy to make glad each soul that feels its touch;
Great Father of the sun, I ask this much.
~~Prayer at Sunrise by James Weldon Johnson.
♥ Бог согнулся от заботы
И затих.
Вот и улыбнулся, вот и
Много ангелов святых
С лучезарными телами
Сотворил.
Есть с огромными крылами,
А бывают и без крыл.
Оттого и плачу много,
Оттого -
Что взлюбила больше Бога
Милых ангелов его.
Bent with worry, God
paused, to smile.
And look, there were many
holy angels with bodies of
the radiance he had
given them,
some with enormous wings and
others without any,
which is why I weep
so much
because even more than God
himself I love his fair angels.
~~«Бог согнулся от заботы…» ("Bent with Worry"), Марина Ивановна Цветаева (Marina Tsvetaeva, translated by Elaine Feinstein).
♥ Gather up
In the arms of your pity
The sick, the depraved,
The desperate, the tired,
All the scum
Of our weary city
Gather up
In the arms of your pity.
Gather up
In the arms of your love -
Those who expect
No love from above.
~~Prayer by Langston Hughes.
♥ Now may every living thing, young or old, weak or strong, living near or far, known or unknown, living or departed or yet unborn, may every living thing be full of bliss.
~~"Now May Every Living Thing" by The Buddha.
♥ By winter winds whose edges carve like knives
Our numbers have been pared.
Now we who have been spared
Thank the Good Lord who took but half our lives.
~~from At the First Thanksgiving: Plymouth, 1621 by X.J. Kennedy.
♥ Thanksgiving dinner's sad and thankless
Christmas dinner's dark and blue
When you stop and try to see it
Form the turkey's point of view.
Sunday dinner isn't sunny
Easter feasts are just bad luck
When you see it from the viewpoint
Of a chicken or a duck.
Oh how I once loved tuna salad
Pork and lobsters, lamb chops too
Till I stopped and looked at dinner
From the dinner's point of view.
~~Point of View by Shel Silverstein.
♥ Even so, Lord, quickly come
To Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin;
There, forever purified,
In Thy presence to abide:
Come, with all Thine angels, come,
Raise the glorious harvest home.
~~from Harvest Home by Henry Alford.
♥ Once more the liberal year laughs out
O'er richer stores than gems or gold;
Once more with harvest-song and shout
Is Nature's bloodless triumph told.
Oh, favors every year made new!
Oh, gifts with rain and sunshine sent!
The bounty overruns our due,
The fullness shames our discontent.
We shut our eyes, the flowers bloom on;
We murmur, but the corn-ears fill,
We choose the shadow, but the sun
That casts it shines behind us still.
Who murmurs at his lot to-day?
Who scorns his native fruit and bloom?
Or sighs for dainties far away,
Beside the bounteous board of home?
Thank Heaven, instead, that Freedom's arm
Can change a rocky soil to gold, -
That brave and generous lives can warm
A clime with northern ices cold.
And let these altars, wreathed with flowers
And piled with fruits, awake again
Thanksgivings for the golden hours,
The early and the latter rain!
~~Harvest Hymn by John Greenleaf Whittier.
♥ The coach is at the door at last;
The eager children, mounting fast
And kissing hands, in chorus sing:
Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!
To house and garden, field and lawn,
The meadow-gates we swang upon,
To pump and stable, tree and swing,
Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!
And fare you well for evermore,
O ladder at the hayloft floor,
O hayloft where the cobwebs cling,
Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!
Crack goes the whip, and off we go;
The trees and the houses smaller grow;
Last, round the woody turn we swing:
Good-bye, goods-bye, to everything!
~~Farewell to the Farm by Robert Louis Stevenson.
♥ 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.
~~Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost.