The bird on the leafy tree,The bird in the cloudy sky,The fish in the wavy sea,The stag on the mountain high,The albatross asleepOn the waves of the rocking deep,The bee on its light wing, borneOver the bending corn,–What is the thought in the breastOf the little bird at rest?What is the thought in the songsWhich […]

Summer is come again. The sun is bright,And the soft wind is breathing. We will joy;And seeing in each other’s eyes the lightOf the same joy, smile hopeful. Our employShall, like the birds’, be airy castles, thingsBuilt by gay hopes, and fond imaginings,Peopling the land within us. We will tellOf the green hills, and of […]

When, like a garment flung aside at night,This body lies, or sculpture of cold rest;When through its shaded windows comes no light,And the white hands are folded on its breast; How will it be with Me, its tenant now?How shall I feel when first I wander out?How look on tears from loved eyes falling? HowLook […]

I. There breathes not a breath of the morning air,But the spirit of Love is moving there;Not a trembling leaf on the shadowy treeMingles with thousands in harmony;But the Spirit of God doth make the sound,And the thoughts of the insect that creepeth around.And the sunshiny butterflies come and go,Like beautiful thoughts moving to and […]

“My eyes make pictures, when they are shut.”COLERIDGE. Fair morn, I bring my greetingTo lofty skies, and pale,Save where cloud-shreds are fleetingBefore the driving gale,The weary branches tossing,Careless of autumn’s grief,Shadow and sunlight crossingOn each earth-spotted leaf. I will escape their grieving;And so I close my eyes,And see the light boat heavingWhere the billows fall […]

For eighteen years, O patient soul,Thine eyes have sought thy grave;Thou seest not thy other goal,Nor who is nigh to save. Thou nearest gentle words that wakeThy long-forgotten strength;Thou feelest tender hands that breakThe iron bonds at length. Thou knowest life rush swift alongThy form bent sadly low;And up, amidst the wondering throngThou risest firm […]

“Bestow her prayer, and let her go;She crieth after us.”Nay, to the dogs ye cast it so;Help not a woman thus. Their pride, by condescension fed,He speaks with truer tongue:“It is not meet the children’s breadShould to the dogs be flung.” She, too, shall share the hurt of good,Her spirit, too, be rent,That these proud […]

Away from living man’s abodeThe tides of sorrow sweep,Bearing a dead man on the roadTo where the weary sleep. And down the hill, in sunny state,Glad footsteps troop along;A noble figure walks sedate,The centre of the throng. The streams flow onward, onward flow,Touch, waver, and are still;And through the parted crowds doth go,Before the prayer, […]

Ah mother! for thy children bold,But doubtful of thy quest,Thou begg’st a boon ere it be told,Avoiding wisdom’s test. Though love is strong to bring thee nigh,Ambition makes thee doubt;Ambition dulls the prophet-eye;It casts the unseen out. Not that in thousands he be one,Uplift in lonely state–Seek great things, mother, for thy son,Because the things […]

1. Mary, to thee the heart was givenFor infant hand to hold,Thus clasping, an eternal heaven,The great earth in its fold. He seized the world with tender might,By making thee his own;Thee, lowly queen, whose heavenly heightWas to thyself unknown. He came, all helpless, to thy power,For warmth, and love, and birth;In thy embraces, every […]

She says within: “It is a man,A man of mother born;She is a woman–I am one,Alive this holy morn.” Filled with his words that flow in light,Her heart will break or cry:A woman’s cry bursts forth in mightOf loving agony. “Blessed the womb, Thee, Lord, that bore!The breast where Thou hast fed!”Storm-like those words the […]

A still dark joy. A sudden face,Cold daylight, footsteps, cries;The temple’s naked, shining space,Aglare with judging eyes. With all thy wild abandoned hair,And terror-pallid lips,Thy blame unclouded to the air,Thy honour in eclipse; Thy head, thine eyes droop to the ground,Thy shrinking soul to hide;Lest, at its naked windows found,Its shame be all descried. Another […]

The empty pitcher to the poolShe bore in listless mood:In haste she turned; the pitcher fullBeside the water stood. To her was heard the age’s prayer:He sat upon the brink;Weary beside the waters fair,And yet He could not drink. He begged her help. The woman’s handWas ready to reply;From out the old well of the […]

With eyes aglow, and aimless zeal,Throughout the land she goes;Her tones, her motions, all revealA mind without repose. She climbs the hills, she haunts the sea,By madness tortured, driven;One hour’s forgetfulness would beA gift from very heaven. The night brings sleep, the sleep distress;The torture of the dayReturns as free, in darker dress,In more secure […]

They give Him freely all they can,They give Him clothes and food;In this rejoicing, that the ManIs not ashamed they should. Enough He labours for his hire;Yea, nought can pay his pain;The sole return He doth requireIs strength to toil again. And this, embalmed in truth, they bring,By love received as such;Their little, by his […]

Strangely thy whispered message ran,Almost in form behest!Why came in dreams the low-born manTo part thee from thy rest? It may be that some spirit fair,Who knew not what must be,Fled in the anguish of his careFor help for him to thee. But rather would I think thee great;That rumours upward went,And pierced the palisades […]

Here much and little change their nameWith changing need and time;But more and less new judgments claim,Where all things are sublime. Sickness may be more hale than health,And service kingdom high;Yea, poverty be bounty’s wealth,To give like God thereby. Bring forth your riches,–let them go,Nor mourn the lost control;For if ye hoard them, surely soTheir […]

Near him she stole, rank after rank;She feared approach too loud;She touched his garment’s hem, and shrankBack in the sheltering crowd. A trembling joy goes through her frame:Her twelve years’ fainting prayerIs heard at last; she is the sameAs other women there. She hears his voice; He looks about.Ah! is it kind or goodTo bring […]

She washes them with sorrow sweet,She wipes them with her hair;Her kisses soothe the weary feet,To all her kisses bare. The best of woman, beauty’s crown,She spends upon his feet;Her eyes, her lips, her hair, flung down,In one devotion meet. His face, his words, her heart had woke.She judged Him well, in sooth:Believing Him, her […]

1. She sitteth at the Master’s feetIn motionless employ;Her ears, her heart, her soul completeDrinks in the tide of joy. She is the Earth, and He the Sun;He shineth forth her leaves;She, in new life from darkness won,Gives back what she receives. Ah! who but she the glory knowsOf life, pure, high, intense;Whose holy calm […]