Madmoments: or First Verseattempts By a Bornnatural. Addressed to the Lightheaded of Society at Large, by Henry Ellison |
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ON HOLYLIVING. |
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 | Madmoments: or First Verseattempts |  |
ON HOLYLIVING.
Be pure, be good, be holy, for the moreThou art all this, the more shall all Things grow
In Beauty to thine Eyes. let thy Soul be
Like some calm Star that in its Orbit moves,
Then shall the Harmony of this fair World
Reveal itself to thee, for thou thyself
Art then a Part thereof, else will it seem
Confusion, for thy Being is confused.
Respect thyself the most of all! and that
Which thou before another wouldst not do
Out of Regard to him, that do still less
Before thyself, out of Regard to thine
Own Self!—for whom does it behove thee most
To honor? thyself, and in thyself all
Thy Fellowcreatures, or another, and
Not thine ownself, and therefore— neither him!
For he who honors not Man's Nature in
The Abstract, and in his ownself, can ill
Respect it in another! then respect
Thyself, thus too in others' Presence thou
Wilt seldom give Offence: and if in thy-
Self thou respectest God who made thee in
His Image, be assured thou wilt respect
Him then in others too— admit no Thought
Which thou wouldst not proclaim unto the Ear
Of everyman: act always as if thy
Breast were of Chrystal, and each Passerby
Could read thy Feelings as he runs: and oh!
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It really is of Chrystal! stand thou then
Always as in his Presence: then will thy
Whole Being grow transparent, with his Light
And Glory filled, like to a Diamond when
Held up against the Sun!— seem what thou art,
And be that which thou seem'st, then all may read
What passes in thee, just as well as if
Thy Bosom were of Chrystal: let thy Soul
Be as a Telescope, thro' which thou mayst
See shadowed forth the Forms of coming Things;
Live in it, as already up with God
In Heaven: feel Him in it—let it be
As a calm, clear, deep Water, giving back
Life's changeful Forms, reflected in, but not
Disturbing it: nay, borrowing from thence
That Calmness, which seems foreign to themselves!
Force not thy Thoughts or Feelings—let them spring
Of themselves, like the Flowers of the Field,
From natural Influence of Seasons, Times,
And Circumstances, then will they be fresh,
As are the Flowers, full of Life and Sap:
A Light unto the Moment, in whose Soil
They struck their Roots, and took their Colouring.
Not like the cold Abstractions of dead Books,
But springing from the Heart, and full of that
Best Wisdom, in which all are wise, the pure,
Deep Wisdom of Humanity and Love!
| Madmoments: or First Verseattempts | |