The Pulley by George Herbert

…….When God at first made man,
Having a glass of blessings standing by,
“Let us,” said he, “pour on him all we can.
Let the world’s riches, which dispersèd lie,
…….Contract into a span.”

…….So strength first made a way;
Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure.
When almost all was out, God made a stay,
Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,
…….Rest in the bottom lay.

…….“For if I should,” said he,
“Bestow this jewel also on my creature,
He would adore my gifts instead of me,
And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature;
…….So both should losers be.

…….“Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them with repining restlessness;
Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
…….May toss him to my breast.”

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Our Lips And Ears – anonymous

If you your lips would keep from slips,
…Five things observe with care:
Of whom you speak, to whom you speak,
…And how and when and where. 

If you your ears would save from jeers,
…These things keep meekly hid:
Myself and I, and mine and my,
…And how I do and did.

 

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The Poet by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

The poet in a golden clime was born,
…With golden stars above;
Dower’d with the hate of hate, the scorn of scorn,
…The love of love.

He saw thro’ life and death, thro’ good and ill,
…He saw thro’ his own soul.
The marvel of the everlasting will,
…An open scroll,

Before him lay: with echoing feet he threaded
…The secretest walks of fame:
The viewless arrows of his thoughts were headed
…And wing’d with flame,–

Like Indian reeds blown from his silver tongue,
…And of so fierce a flight,
From Calpe unto Caucasus they sung,
…Filling with light

And vagrant melodies the winds which bore
…Them earthward till they lit;
Then, like the arrow-seeds of the field flower,
…The fruitful wit

Cleaving, took root, and springing forth anew
…Where’er they fell, behold,
Like to the mother plant in semblance, grew
…A flower all gold,

And bravely furnish’d all abroad to fling
…The winged shafts of truth,
To throng with stately blooms the breathing spring
…Of Hope and Youth.

So many minds did gird their orbs with beams,
…Tho’ one did fling the fire.
Heaven flow’d upon the soul in many dreams
…Of high desire.

Thus truth was multiplied on truth, the world
…Like one great garden show’d,
And thro’ the wreaths of floating dark upcurl’d,
…Rare sunrise flow’d.

And Freedom rear’d in that august sunrise
…Her beautiful bold brow,
When rites and forms before his burning eyes
…Melted like snow.

There was no blood upon her maiden robes
…Sunn’d by those orient skies;
But round about the circles of the globes
…Of her keen eyes

And in her raiment’s hem was traced in flame
…WISDOM, a name to shake
All evil dreams of power–a sacred name.
…And when she spake,

Her words did gather thunder as they ran,
…And as the lightning to the thunder
Which follows it, riving the spirit of man,
…Making earth wonder,

So was their meaning to her words.  No sword
…Of wrath her right arm whirl’d,
But one poor poet’s scroll, and with ‘his’ word
…She shook the world.

 

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Wisdom by William Cowper

Ere God had built the mountains,
…Or raised the fruitful hills;
Before he filled the fountains
…That feed the running rills;
In me, from everlasting,
…The wonderful I AM,
Found pleasures never-wasting,
…And Wisdom is my name.

When, like a tent to dwell in,
…He spread the skies abroad,
And swathed about the swelling
…Of Ocean’s mighty flood;
He wrought by weight and measure,
…And I was with him then:
Myself the Father’s pleasure,
…And mine, the sons of men.

Thus Wisdom’s words discover
…Thy glory and thy grace,
Thou everlasting lover
…Of our unworthy race!
Thy gracious eye surveyed us
…Ere stars were seen above;
In wisdom thou hast made us,
…And died for us in love.

And couldst thou be delighted
…With creatures such as we,
Who, when we saw thee, slighted
…And nailed thee to a tree?
Unfathomable wonder,
…And mystery divine!
The voice that speaks in thunder,
…Says, “Sinner, I am thine!”

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Spanking – haiku by Dennis Lange

Spanking

Old-fashioned?
Bible – old as God,
Unchanging.

— 

Bible says
If you spank the child,
He won’t die.

— 

The reason?
For discipline, not
In anger.

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* The haiku I write are lines of 3-5-3 syllables instead of 5-7-5.

See Haiku article here for explanation, if needed: https://thebardonthehill.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/haiku/

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© Dennis Lange and thebardonthehill.wordpress.com, 2015.

 

 

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Where There’s A Will There’s A Way by Eliza Cook

We have faith in old proverbs full surely,
…For Wisdom has traced what they tell,
And Truth may be drawn up as purely
…From them, as it may from “a well.”
Let us question the thinkers and doers,
…And hear what they honestly say;
And you’ll find they believe, like bold wooers,
…In “Where there’s a will there’s a way.”

The hills have been high for man’s mounting,
…The woods have been dense for his axe,
The stars have been thick for his counting,
…The sands have been wide for his tracks,
The sea has been deep for his diving,
…The poles have been broad for his sway,
But bravely he’s proved in his striving,
…That “Where there’s a will there’s a way.”

Have ye vices that ask a destroyer?
…Or passions that need your control?
Let Reason become your employer,
…And your body be ruled by your soul.
Fight on, though ye bleed in the trial,
…Resist with all strength that ye may;
Ye may conquer Sin’s host by denial;
…For “Where there’s a will there’s a way.”

Have ye Poverty’s pinching to cope with?
…Does Suffering weigh down your might?
Only call up a spirit to hope with,
…And dawn may come out of the night.
Oh! much may be done by defying
…The ghosts of Despair and Dismay;
And much may be gained by relying
…On “Where there’s a will there’s a way.”

Should ye see, afar off, that worth winning,
…Set out on the journey with trust;
And ne’er heed if your path at beginning
…Should be among brambles and dust.
Though it is but by footsteps ye do it,
…And hardships may hinder and stay;
Walk with faith, and be sure you’ll get through it;
…For “Where there’s a will there’s a way.”

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Always Finish by Anonymous

If a task is once begun,
Never leave it till it’s done.
Be the labor great or small,
Do it well or not at all.

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The Library by Dennis Lange

The fearless, fair-haired youth go racing by
To beat the sun with their eternal play;
Ignoring all the volumes as they sit
On shelves, made dusty by the ancient day.

But if they pause to look within the door,
Tis brief, for volumes do not speak with rap,
Nor beer commercials with seductiveness.
Instead, they stand or lean, and seem to nap.

Philosophy and history there dwell
As tenants, with a monthly rent long paid
By labor in the decades of the past,
And speak of Time, not black, or white, but grayed.

A smattering of math and arts reside
By politics in its disgraceful cave.
A button brings the turning of a tune –
A play-by-play of athletes in the grave.

Outranking all the facts that dwell within
Is Wisdom, treasured for her pillared strength,
Who, in the living of the testing years,
Spread through the books to fill the width and length.

She lives in leathered lexicons and tracts,
Anthologies of age, experience,
In almanacs beneath the thinning hair
Beside her sacred sister – Common Sense.

Youth shudder at the shaking in a hand;
They wince at wrinkles, see the years as gloom.
They view the silver hair like cobwebs.  Flee!
The tomes of wisdom are too near the tomb.

Library and librarian – the same –
He shuffles down the lane the young ones fly.
Their laughter sounds, as though the race was won,
But they, as yet, have no discerning eye.

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© Dennis Lange and thebardonthehill.wordpress.com, 2011.

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