Poems By Richard Chenevix Trench: New ed |
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PRAYER. |
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151
PRAYER.
When prayer delights thee least, then learn to say,
Soul, now is greatest need that thou should'st pray.
Soul, now is greatest need that thou should'st pray.
Crookëd and warped I am, and I would fain
Straighten myself by thy right line again.
Straighten myself by thy right line again.
Oh come, warm sun, and ripen my late fruits;
Pierce, genial showers, down to my parchëd roots.
Pierce, genial showers, down to my parchëd roots.
My well is bitter; cast therein the tree,
That sweet henceforth its brackish waves may be.
That sweet henceforth its brackish waves may be.
Say what is prayer, when it is prayer indeed?
The mighty utterance of a mighty need.
The mighty utterance of a mighty need.
The man is praying, who doth press with might
Out of his darkness into God's own light.
Out of his darkness into God's own light.
White heat the iron in the furnace won;
Withdrawn from thence, 'tis cold and hard anon.
Withdrawn from thence, 'tis cold and hard anon.
Flowers from their stalks divided, presently
Droop, fail, and wither in the gazer's eye.
Droop, fail, and wither in the gazer's eye.
The greenest leaf divided from its stem
To speedy withering doth itself condemn.
To speedy withering doth itself condemn.
152
The largest river from its fountain head
Cut off, leaves soon a parched and dusty bed.
Cut off, leaves soon a parched and dusty bed.
All things that live from God their sustenance wait,
And sun and moon are beggars at his gate.
And sun and moon are beggars at his gate.
All skirts extended of thy mantle hold,
When angel-hands from heaven are scattering gold.
When angel-hands from heaven are scattering gold.
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