 | Eonchs of ruby. A Gift of Love |  |
137
THE FALLEN TEMPLE.
“The man of God lives longer without a tomb than any by one, invisibly interred by angels.”—
Sir Thomas Brown.I.
The body of this man is dead!Once there was wisdom in his head;
Soon he will in the grave be laid—
His soul in immortality arrayed.
II.
For in his body—God-loved One!It dwelt as light does in the sun;
But now his Week of Life is done—
The Sabbath of sweet rest begun.
III.
In Death's great whirlwind he did hearGod's voice upon his listening ear
Breaking in accents silver-clear—
“The Goal that thou dost seek is near.”
IV.
His soul with wisdom was replete;He walked with Hell beneath his feet;
The music that he made was sweet;
Beside God's throne he takes his seat.
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V.
God's splendor round his head did glow,Because his heart did overflow
With pity for another's woe—
Such goodness God alone could know.
VI.
His heart replied unto his head—With wisdom it was always fed;
One to the other ministered—
For what one felt the other said.
VII.
His Angel-soul was made to beA Green Isle in God's Silver Sea,
Whose thoughts were Flowers of Poetry,
Blooming therein eternally.
VIII.
Such prospect did his soul command,From this dark world, where he did stand,
He saw in Heaven the Promised Land—
Beyond the starry shining band.
IX.
Then did his giant soul give birthTo this great thought in going forth—
The greatest, God-like thing on earth
Is homage done to human worth.
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X.
Prophetic music did he makeFor his own soul's eternal sake,
When Death did all his heart-strings break—
Then from life's death did he awake.
XI.
With intellectual travail throesDid he give birth to those great woes
Which no one but the Poet knows—
And, knowing, knoweth no repose.
| Eonchs of ruby. A Gift of Love | |