The Poetical Works of George Barlow In Ten [Eleven] Volumes |
 | I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
 | The Poetical Works of George Barlow |  |
265
FOUR SONNETS
(1883)
267
SONNET I
THE WRESTLE
I sometimes think that whoso loveth thee
Must wrestle with the stormy Infinite
As Jacob wrestled with the awful might
Of God, until his flesh failed visibly.
For lo! before me stretches such a sea
Of pain and labour where the billows white
Float on a background of terrific night
That my heart shudders often, woe is me!—
Must wrestle with the stormy Infinite
As Jacob wrestled with the awful might
Of God, until his flesh failed visibly.
For lo! before me stretches such a sea
Of pain and labour where the billows white
Float on a background of terrific night
That my heart shudders often, woe is me!—
Dread are the barriers looming on the road.
Strange wastes before me trackless and untrod
Where never star hath shone nor blossom glowed
Stretch. These my feet must traverse, sorrow-shod.—
Red is the harvest whose white seed Love sowed.
Who would love thee must measure strength with God.
Strange wastes before me trackless and untrod
Where never star hath shone nor blossom glowed
Stretch. These my feet must traverse, sorrow-shod.—
Red is the harvest whose white seed Love sowed.
Who would love thee must measure strength with God.
268
SONNET II
“MAN IS NOT MOCKED”
“God is not mocked!”—Nor is the fiery heart
Of man mocked either. Man can love as well.
Man too can face the iron winds of hell
And face the fires of hell, and do his part.
Along the soul of man vast love-throbs dart,
And through man's soul the great love-surges swell;
And man can climb barefoot the lonely fell
And reach the summits whence the thunders start.
Of man mocked either. Man can love as well.
Man too can face the iron winds of hell
And face the fires of hell, and do his part.
Along the soul of man vast love-throbs dart,
And through man's soul the great love-surges swell;
And man can climb barefoot the lonely fell
And reach the summits whence the thunders start.
I stood where billows upon billows rocked
And where the fountains of strong love began
And where the arrows of red lightnings flocked
Innumerable. Strange lips blood-flecked and wan
Thundered above that storm, “God is not mocked,—
Nor is the stormy faithful heart of man.”
And where the fountains of strong love began
And where the arrows of red lightnings flocked
Innumerable. Strange lips blood-flecked and wan
Thundered above that storm, “God is not mocked,—
Nor is the stormy faithful heart of man.”
269
SONNET III
GOD, MAN, WOMAN
Yes, God is faithful. Man is faithful too.
And is not woman faithful?—Shall she be
The one thing faithless in this Trinity?
Can she who gathers beauty as the blue
Gathers the clouds, be the one thing untrue?
If God with might of all the faithful sea
Be stedfast, and if man be true as he,
Can woman fail the Leaders to pursue?
And is not woman faithful?—Shall she be
The one thing faithless in this Trinity?
Can she who gathers beauty as the blue
Gathers the clouds, be the one thing untrue?
If God with might of all the faithful sea
Be stedfast, and if man be true as he,
Can woman fail the Leaders to pursue?
If man will follow God, will she not deign
To follow man, though all the bitter way
By their abiding blood-drops be made plain?
If man and God will guide, will she obey?
If God and man be faithful to their pain,
Will she be true to love,—aye, even as they?
To follow man, though all the bitter way
By their abiding blood-drops be made plain?
If man and God will guide, will she obey?
If God and man be faithful to their pain,
Will she be true to love,—aye, even as they?
270
SONNET IV
THE VICTORY
A spirit wrestled through the lonely night
With God,—until the cold grey dawn shone clear.—
But neither won. They closed again in sheer
Ecstatic struggle when the sun took flight.
Through the long hours with alternating might
They wrestled, till the pale stars shook with fear,
And even the morning's clarion in man's ear
Doubted to ring,—so mastering was the sight.
With God,—until the cold grey dawn shone clear.—
But neither won. They closed again in sheer
Ecstatic struggle when the sun took flight.
Through the long hours with alternating might
They wrestled, till the pale stars shook with fear,
And even the morning's clarion in man's ear
Doubted to ring,—so mastering was the sight.
But when the sun was up, the strife was o'er.
For once the human spirit had prevailed
And Jacob was avenged for evermore.—
Strong human love the Godhead had assailed
And conquered. Man and God met eye to eye,
And man's was the stupendous victory.
For once the human spirit had prevailed
And Jacob was avenged for evermore.—
Strong human love the Godhead had assailed
And conquered. Man and God met eye to eye,
And man's was the stupendous victory.
| The Poetical Works of George Barlow | |