Poems to Live By
Exported from Holy-Writings.com on 2026-07-05 - 1 clipping

Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Stanwood Cobb, Poems to Live By, Washington, DC: Avalon Press, 1969, bahai-library.com.
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POEMS TO LIVE BY

by

Stanwood   Cobb

Avalon Press    - Washington,    D. C. 20015

'   .
Copyright - 1969

By

Stanwood Cobb

Manufactured in the United States
of America
Other   Books

By Stanwood     Cobb

Th e- Jqde Necklace of Lin San Kwei - Verse
What is Love?          - Verse
What is God? - Verse
Sage of the Sacred        Mountain
What is Man?          - Verse
The Donkey and the Elephant             - Verse
Tomorrow        and Tomorrow
Syrnbo l s of America
The Way of Lif e of Wu Ming Fu
Cha.r a ct e r - A Sequence in Spiritual        Psychology
Patterns      in Jade of Wu Ming Fu
Security     for a Failing World
New Horizons         for the Child
Discovering       the Genius Within You
The Wisdom of Wu Ming Fu
The New Leaven
Simla    - A Tale in Verse
The Essential        Mysticism
Ayesha     of the Bosphorus       - A Romance
The Real Turk
The Meaning        of Life
The Destiny       of America
I slamic    Contributions      to Civilization
Table of Contents

Part 1

Poems of Youth

Nature and Love

Par t 11

Poems of the Spirit
PARTI

POEMSOFYOUTH,      NATUREANDLOVE
Out F'r orn an Examination

Out from an examination        pacing hot-headed,
I percei ved the eternal    r e al.i ti e s of natu r e:
The glow of sunset in the western sky,
The soft snow-lines  upon the hi Il s ,
The sixth planet shining near the ho r i z on ,
And my soul found freedom again
In the Infinite.

Twofold Goal

Enough, enough to me be gi ven
A life both of the earth and hea ven;
The one amidst the deeds of man,
And one where only Faith may sean.

L'Envoi

A final word
From one who take s alone the path
That all must wa Ik ,
Let it be said
That life is as you live i t,
The sky now blue , now gray
In mood to match
The sunshine and the shadow of your soul.

The Path

For me there is no great nor les s,
No failure or success;
The path I follow as the vision leads.
For time, I have eternity to r oarnj
For spa ce , the universe my home,
Content to go as Destiny me speeds.

The Homeland

Like a well known voice in a foreign            land
Comes a bit of music here; a poem;
A song that bids me rise
And go to my Father's   home.

Do I rest   content   with th e things   that   are    here?
I
Ti s because I see no other;
And voice s of the Pa st
Are drowned in a saddened d r e arn ,

Why do I linger here when a world of wonder waits?
A world where the purple hills look down
On a people of might . -
On a people who know their glorious God-gi ven powe r ,

It is there I be long ,
In the mystic homeland sweet.
Why come ye s ourid s , strange melodies -
To prick my heart till the yearning blood leaps                forth!

O why, you poems of unusual meter,
That under the common meaning of your words
Bear me aloft on billows
Of inexplicable forgotten sound?

O why, you pi ctu r e , lurks that subtl e smile
Beneath the contour of the form and color Is pride?
As who should hint
"Do st s ta y, when the home-breeze     whispers forth?"

I dreamed the other night I stood upon hills three
And saw a greater thing
Than ever I have known -
So great that half of it escapes my waking sight.

But now I know what beauty m ean s ,
And at its call
My struggling   soul would restless burst away
And fly back home where friends     await its coming.

Man and De stiny

To strut like a rooster     in the sun ,
To feel the joy oí every bird that sings,
To thrill   with life like yonder nodding flower   s,
This is existence.

To open one1s arms to al.l one1s fellow be ing s ,
To read behind each face the person hidden there,
To see beneath all evil the good that may become,
This is benevolence.

To feel oneself grow less and Ie s s ,
To reach the point where Self no more exists,
To float in the fulness oí the cosmic whole,
This is Eternity.

Breath    oí th e Summer    Morn

Breath    oí the summer     morn,
Dew on the rose,
Perfumes  that are shed abroad
With every breeze that blows:
Seek ye, perhaps,  sorne passer-by
To stop and dream and sigh?
Then here am I!
Oh here am I!

A Creed    of Happiness

I ama pagan,
If making ha ppine s s an aim of lif e
Is pagan.
And I am a philosopher,
If the belief one l s happiness must be created,
And the consideration      of the means of its creation
Is phí Io sophy,

And this is my discovery:
The key to happiness
Is a simple and appreciative   hea r t,
The Universe surrounds     with many joys
Which go unheeded by the comrnon man.

We win to happiness
By bringing open vision,
Zest for enjoyment,
And a thankful heart
To all activities of life
And every hour of living.

Can one sa y more than this ?
Perhaps.
But the credo here set forth
Can be proved better by experience
Than by mere words.

Pea ce

Ending the dreary war-torn    night
Zion feels the watchman bringing
The dawn of planetary peace -
And all her heart is singing.

My Prayer

Give me the mind to know,
The will to feel,
And enough strength to carry       out
The Truth.

Grant that the universe     may open up her secrets   to me.
I ask not to know all,
But to know rightly    that which Ido know.
To be not led astray;
To see not falsely   through   prejudice,
Pride, sloth or wilfullne s s;
But to see thnough the clear light of reason
And to feel with the heart    of a little child!

Despair

When life the de epe st settles   like a cloud
Of storm upon me, such as thunders          loud
Its dim despair,   and flashes   forth in gleam
Of lights that with satanic    menace    teem,
Then know I most,     that though the sunny day s ,
And joy, are God - He also rides the storm
And gives His angels     charge   of all the ways
Of waste and death that lead to life Is reform.

And lo, this cloud strange mystic rays illume
Into a shape of high superna! grace;
And in the midst of despair's darkest gloom,
Behold! I see my Maker face to fa.ce ,

Sacred   Hours

Thank God for hours vouchsafed to u s,
Freed from Time Is moving stream      -
When cosmic life, in leaf and flower,
Holds us entrancéd in dream.

The Madman Is Story

They told me that such effort would do har m,
Too great excitement   for a failing mind!
A period so critica! should be     .
Bridged over by mind-easing     calrn and r e st,
Or else the slender threads of reason1s woof
Would snap, unravel and be swept away
By maddening wí.nds ,
And so they counseled rn e t-
Carefree,  to leave ambition for the wh~e;
Cut loase the cables, drift untaught to sea
And let my goal grow dim upon the du sk ,

Oh what a way to save a tottering mind!
What? Sacrifice ambition and all pl an s ,
Abandoning the joyous course marked out
Just when the harbar light sends cheery rays
To guide the struggling vessel to its goal?

Am I to let the world slip by, fo r sooth,
When but to hail it were to call it mine!
Or lea ve the ripe fruit hanging on the bough
Wñen it were mine for the mere plucking of it!
As well advise the sailor leave his r aft
When rescue boats are bearing down upon hírn ,
As well advise a conquering army lea ve
The field of its well-wrested   victory.

They think the minds I last glimmer Is flickering  out!
Bah, let them think!   I s nap my fingers at them!
They do not know what genius is! They see
An old cracked bell and call it valueless!

But reason, after ali, what is its worth?
Has reason ever moved the world?      Won battles,
Established  a religion or a school?
Or wrested from blind Nature many truths?
No, r ea son does not so! But genius doe s,
And madness is but genius in disguise.

If I arn mad, I revel in this gift.
Let tie s be snapped, let earth be left behind;
And soaring through star-spaces,     borne aloft
On roseate clouds of the imagination
Let's find what reason has but dimly guessed,
And the inferior  clay has never dreamed.

Look you at me in pity?     In contempt?
I know that faint disdainful smile
The creeps around the face of everyone
Who listens to my story.

I'll tell no more.
Please go away! Keep pity for yourself!

All Hail!

Hail to life' s bold explorers,
Pioneers who lead the way
To unknown regions of the soul;
Scale boldest crags,
And find there a foothold firm.
Without them, we should falter at the first steep    climb;
Sould fear by pr ecípi ce and brink;
Should rest contented with low levels won,

Why?

Why should we always hear the first wild notes
Of symphonie s that droop with subtle sweet,
Only to miss the melody divine
That lingers half discovered,  half too fleet?

Why should our hearts soar skyward like the lark
At sight of sorne seraphic,   heaven-lit face -
Only to beat its passion out in vain
Against the prison ba r s of time and place?

O melody that comes to plague us so,
O love that clings and will not let us go,
We pr ay for Er e edornj yet a dreamless   peace
We would not wish for, that I know,

Let other s satisfy their hearts I desire,
Let others have a soul that's not on fí r e ,
The sunshine glows more deeply after rain;
The seer, in pe a.ce , comes to his own again.

When the Evening Shadows Fall
Composed in 1908 at Acca

When the evening shadows fall
And the darkness   covers all -
When the turquoise and the blue
Of the sea dissolve from vi ew,
And the orange of the sky
Fades befare the watching eye
When the sunset shadows fall
Ma y God' s peace enfold us all.

What is Love?

What is true love?     Can anyone define?
Hardly,  for Iove follows no one line.

There is the ardent   love of flesh      for flesh,
Such as the cha rrn s of body may        enmesh.

When to such earthly   love is added soul,
We have conjuga! blissfulness    in wh ol e ,

There   is attracti   ve Lo ve of one' s own kind,
A deep attachment       for the kindred mind.

The !ove of mother for her cherished  child
Of human Io ve this is most sweetly mild.

But of all Iove s , this is the final test -
Welfare of others must to us seem be st]

An Interlude?

Is happiness an interlude,
Or is it natur e ' s constant mood?
For human s , it is all too rare -
It seldom serves as daily fare!

To Soar Aloft

O butterfly from flower to flower flitting,
How is it that I who here am sitting
Can also fly and spread my golden wings,
And soar al.oft with every bird that sings?

Transmigration      of Souls

The Sparrow
(Devotee of the Mart)

You have no voice to sing and charm    the soul,
Your days are spent in grubbing   on the street;
Nor have you zest to soar against   the sky,-
Enough for you to hustle and to e at,

The Crow
(Cynic)

Where things are black,        your plumage      blackest   fi t s ,
You like,    aloft,   to sean the nether   fields;
And then,     arion , with raucous   clamorings
Assure    the world that life no pleasure        yields.

The Nightingale
(Forlorn  Lover)

When spring her utmost      beauty spreads   abroad
And moonlight   gilds the blossom-   scented   air,
You pour your heart in r aptur ou s melody
Invoking memories     of sorne old despair.

The Eagle
(Seer)

You soar    aloft                  s height;
and dar e the zenith    I

Your wings can vantage you against the gale;
And when you rest, 1tis on sorne sky-born crag
Where turmoil does not r ea ch, nor silence fa i I,

Newton    - A Poetic     Appreciation

O Newton,    who thy charms      can fitly tell!
Thy shaded streets, thy fair homes love so well;
Thy re sidential     heights by a r t enhanced;
Thy simpler      spot s where Nature lies entranced;
Thy ponds that bask beneath        the summer       heat
And ring in winter from the skaters'          feet;
Thy river   where the summer         idly floats
In gay canoe s and sober-colored boats -
O place of pleasure noted far and wide,
Where is thine equal, charming Riverside?

So far has loving Nature done her share
To make the Garden City passing fair
That she has seemed to justly signify -
"He r e in no busy factory wheels shall ply,
No dust-blown mart this charming site shall hol.d,
Its people be of no inferior mold. "
And so the thirteen Newtons, charming all,
Laid out and grown to plan symmetrical,
Ha.ve come to be the home of those who take
Culture for theirs and live for culture's  s ake ,
O may no footprints of a ruder r a c e
Her paths of plenty and of peace defa ce ,
Let others have their palaces and domes,
May Newton stay the city of fair homes.

Perfection

I wonder if all life must make the quest
For a Perfection    that is never found ,
I wonder if that chord must be denied,
-To gi ve earth-music     a celestial sound.

When Hope is Gone

Life still asserts   itself, when hope is gone,
for life is more than thought;
It is the sacred Essence ba ck of time
from which all things are wr ought,

Then Iea r n, when hope grows dírn, to roerse yourself
within this Cosmic Ocean -
V:.'4ich can bring calm, or rouse the tired soul
again to zestful motion.

Knowe st Thou,     O Soul?

The shadows lengthen
And we are far from home.
Knowest thou the r oad, O Soul?
Canst see amidst the gloam?

"Though the road be lengthy,
Though the goal be far -
Never need we go astray
With eyes on yon bright star!"

But the way is r ough, O Soul;
The night is hard to meet.
How can mortals    safely tread
The path with stumbling feet?

"Though the darkness   deepens
Though dusk obscures the sight       -
Never need we stumble here
While at our feet this Light. 1'

Toda y

I arn so happy toda y,
And I cannot tell why.
Perhaps   it1s the light in the ai r ,
Perhaps   it1 s th e blue in the sky.

Ido not ca r e what may come
Or what tomorrow ma y bring;
Today I'm in Io ve with Ii fe ,
Today I can only sing.

Walking With My Lave

Walking with my true lave
The sun shines brighter s ti Il ,
The sky is b lu e r , and a glow
Transcends   the tree-clad    hill.

The river flows in pearly hue s ,
Framed in its sedge-brown    fringe;
And out acress the gray-blue    flood
Far shores show misty tinge.

The earth is always filled with joy
And beauty reigns superb above ,
When comradely a nd arm in arm
I walk the meadows with my Iove ,

Creatori

Lords of the Inner World, we,
Land of the unbeknown -
Where visions have exi.sted
And high ideas have flown.

Not ours the truckling market,
Nor throne-rooms     lined with g old,
We dwell in faery castles
And spirit scepter s h ol.d,

We rule the elementals.
Ours the creative fire
That shapes a constellation,
That solves a heart's   de s i r e ,

Our love is pristine beauty;
Our life is pa s s ed in d r e arn s ,
For usj pa r t s the mystic curtain
And the light of knowledge beams.

Today let us sow, theri, in gladness
That tomorrow may reap what is sown.
Our s not the car e for Earth Is wage s -
Lords of the Unbe known,

Exploring    Truth

May I see Truth, as from a mountain top
Scouts see a vast terrain   spread out before them
Waiting to be explored,   beckoning to adventure,
Enticing with the promise of hid treasures;
Luring one on in an eternal quest
To goals not seen, but only gue s s ed,

Above    the Rainbow

At the end of the r a inbow,
So we are told,
Lies bright buried   treasure,
A pot of pure gold;
But this so elusi ve
Escaping   our hold.

Above that same rainbow
Lies wealth more kind;
More valuable    treasures,
Within our strength     to find       -
Treasures   of the spirit,
Treasure  s of the mind.

Song of the Jubilant     Throat

Why this life' s dullnes s?
Where is the wrong
That the h e a r t ' s fullne·ss
Bur st into song?

Song of the jubilant    throat   -
Pricked   with the yearning
That through    Spring' s caress
Sets hearts   aburning.

Chant of the blood- red       dawn,
Hint of Hope' s morrow         -
Shall not today's  bright      sun
Outshine  all sorrow?

Sacred      Lyre

I tune my sacred lyre
To sorne celestial    fire;
Its strains mount sweet, mount          higher,
Like glorious   chant from sorne        exalted   crag.
Oh, may this inspiration     never      flag,
These fingers    never tire!

To a Naiad

Come and sit here         -
Sit by my side
Abo ve the wa ves and ti d e ,
Are you sorne naiad
Out of the deep?                                          • 1
Have you love- strayed
F'r orn one who would keep
You bod y and h e a r t ,
Ne ver to part?

Do you mourn
For what is pa s t ?
Have the Fates borne
You here at last,
To rest in pe a e e
Here at my side -
With no release,
Whate'er betide?

The Piscataqua

I recline in the shade of the trees,
The tidal river below;
Not too much chill in the breeze,
Only an ambient   glow.

It+s hot in the city, they say -
Yes, it is stiffling  hot.
But here an entrancing     day
Gilds this sequestered     spot ,

Yes!   It is easy-to feel
Close to God' s spirit her e•
No church designed     of brick       or steel
Brings   Him so subtly near!

A Perfect        Day

The birds are singing;
And the sunlight   gay
Makes on the water
A morn-magic     ray.

The air is fresh;
And every leaf and flower
Make s for loveline s s
An enchanted   hour ,

Here is a perfect    day;
Nature has done     her best
To fil! my heartwith joy
To soothe my soul to re st ,

Fairies

There is a woodland glade
Where fairies dance
Wrapt in the forest silence,
Free from human glance.

From a mos sy bank
The music comes;
Crickets piping shrill
All the woodland fill;
And the locusts' wings
Furnish drums.

What have they for light?
The fire-fly' s torch.
And the glow-worms     give
Lamps that do not scorch.

See the green-bossed    elves,
Perched on flowers,
Come to see the fun
From their hidden bowers.
They'll not dance tonight -
Only fairies
Sha r e this pure delight.

Round and round they go,
Bend and courtsey low.
On the tiniest little feet
They trip - and their toes
Scarce with the dew drops meet
That glitter on the rno s s ,

In the East light  spa.r kl e s ,
And the stars grow dí.rn,
What, must the fairies stop
Just in the be st of trim?

Yes, the music cease~, and the fairies    gay
Each with a fire-fly escort
Haste away,
At the stroke of three
All must silent be -
For fairies flee the appr oa ch of day.

The Goal

O Love, I turn to thee
To guide me over life r s strange mystic sea.
The thinker thinks his intellect the goal,
But we know better,   you and I, my soul.
Love is the clue arid Love the guiding, too.
Without it none may pass the spirit' s portals   through.

And so to that great Splendour of Desire far away,
Love be my company, and Love my stay.

The Flame

This earth of our s , so gay, so bright,
And you dar e say that life is without light?
Go! In the darkness    of your soul enquire
For that one Flame that sets the worlds on fire.

Evening   Prayer     for a Child

God give thee pea ce ,
May angels kis s thee in thy sleep,
And round about thy head so dear
The wingéd seraphs vigil keep.

God give thee joy,
That thou mayest see His face -
The whilst all troubles of the day
Dissolve with Time and Spa ce ,

God give thee power -
That thou maye st learn to bring
Back with thee when thou com I st to earth
The songs the angels sing.

Thoughts

The woods are full of last year1s chestnut-burs
And dead leaves dance with every wind that stirs;
Come, who would wish these back upon the tree
Which toda y' s new life decks out so gloriously!

Why blind the eyes with grieving for the past
So that thou canst not see the joys thou hast?
Wipe yesterday's   unavailing tears away
And greet the glorious sunshine of toda y.

The future beckons with a golden smile
And offers gifts which every heart beguile.
But he who grasps the present moment's    mead
Has that whose worth all other worths exceed.

Appearance      and Reality

From the ocean of Eternal Love
Two waves carne breaking on the shor e ,
That travelled twain until their spray
Was joined to separate no more.

So from the Formless,     issues form;
From the Abs tr act, life' s joys are won,
Ali that now moves as multiple,
E'ternally is seen as one ,

Youth

O youth, blossoming   at our <loor,
O Garden of delight!
Seed of eternal splendor,
With each day's promise bright!

How <lid we do without you,
Nor knew that life was bare           -
Youth oí- eternal splendor
Bringing us joys to share?

Lif e Is infini te r enewal,
Builds on youth's changing       ways      -
Rhythm that pulsates   warmly
And throughout   the Cosmos       plays.

Ever sorne new root springing
The decay of Time defies;
Because youth can balance age,
The Universe never di e s ,

Baby   in a Restaurant

This baby did not understand     much s pe e ch,
Nor know the use of things within his reach.
But as he s canned the strangers     between   whiles,
He understood   the meaning   of their smiles.

To Five-Year      Old Shirin

O Shirin,  you were born on ea r th ,
But the quaint secret   no one knows;
How you brought   beauty from the sky>
Or whence your innate wisdom      fl ows ,

Cupid and Apollo

Lave was sipping nectared bliss
Brewed from honey of a kí s s ,
Cupid beside her, amorous boy,
Was thinking whom he might annoy
With his potent bow and arrows,
Bored with shooting only spa r r ows ,

Apollo, music Is god, happed by
As Cupid ventured toward Iove Is sky,
Apollo smiled at Cupid Is sport,
And gave advice in discourse  short.

"When you speed the heavens through,
Shoot darts dipped in magic brew
Distilled from music sweet and low -
A yeast to make !ove quickly grow.
Try thí s , and these words you'll prove:
Men and music rna ke for Iove , 11

Nature    and God

Na.tur e ' s prolific.   A single living cell,
Left free to multiply      without one death,
Would in five years       outweigh  the earth itself!
And myriad      microbes     crowd our every br ea th,

Is God so generous   to the lowest life
That thrives  below ea i-ths    surface   o r above,
And yet be limited  in spiritual     goods,
Or fail in His abundant    gift of Love?

And still,   with all its teeming     vital wealth,
Matter   is limited    in its supply.
Love only, through       the Cosmos, knows no fail       -
Its boundaries      as infinite as the sky ,

And Love   has miracles     that nature lacks;
The more    of it that's used, the more it grows.
And who gives most of love to other men
Will find that love, to him, more richly flows.

What is Desire?

What is desire?
A slumbering   fire
That smoulders    for days,
Then bur sts into blaze -
De stroying all in i ts path
Like the ragings of wrath.

When peace follows pain,
Desire smoulders  again.

Love is the Light of Home

The Universe is vast,
It terrifie s the soul!
Man as a fragment
Is lost in the Whole.

Lave is Life's Anchor,
The focus of Being;
Here man is All,
As sight is all of seeing.

No longer wandering,
Not aimless to r oarn ,
Not lost in the cosmos,
Lave is the light oí home.

Hope

Hope is the sunshine oí tomorrow-
The truth that all things deítly move
Serene to gladness out of sorrow,
That Faith her steadfast pledge may prove.

A Little      While

Descending from sorne heaven oí delight
You carne to dwell on earth a little while   -
Bearing celestial joy within your heart,
Wearing delight as an eternal srní.Ie ,

The Morning      After the Strife

Alone, alone with the cold, cold dead,
And the sea breaking clase at hand,
The beach is strewn with the harvest of war,
And the ocean frowns on the Iand,

Ali gone, all gone is the noise of the strife,
And the dead are an ashen gray.
One man alone has lived through the night,
Will he die at the break of day?

Slowly, slowly he raises him up,
For his limbs are frozen and stiff.
Slowly he looks on his comrades       the dead
As they lie at the foot of the cliff.

"My comrades,     why have you left me here,
Alone with the sea and the sky?
Shall I alone live to tell the tale,
How I have seen you die?

"No, oh no! May the dear Lord forbid!           "
In a pitiful voice he cried.
And God on high gave heed to his cry        -
For he passed at the turn of the tide.

Roll on, O sea, to the foot of the cliff,
And cover the bodies gray.
Tosa, toss the limbs in the dim light of dawn -
They will never see the day!

A Year of Travel

A year of travel - how the words entice!
Italy, from south to north, Venice, the Alps;
Germany's       southl.and, the Rhine, Hol.Iand, Belgium
and France,
Pa.r i s , the city of the gay and beautiful;
A week of touring in Touraine;
Then London for three weeks, Cornwall,              and home
at Ia st,
The plan is perfect,       so you say (on reading i t},
A varied feast of a r t, and music, and street s ce ne s ,
Of classic ruins, chur ch e s , palaces and parks;
Interspiced      with country j aunt s , fresh aí r , the sea
and mountains.

And so we started,     setting sail from that great por t,
Bidding farewell to friends and relati ves;
Hearts filled, half with th e thoughts of home,
Half with anticipations     of delight a c r o s s the sea.
A merry company aboa r d, cong ení al , friendly,
So grown together thr o ' the long three weeks of cruise
That when the parting carne there were many sad
farewells.

Italy at Ia st, and the dirty streets of Napl e s ,
Cap r i , that glorious isle, sea-girt,with     beauties that
entice the traveller    to s tr ol.lj
Lingering ca r e s s ing l y along her shores
Come next Sorrento,         Amalfi and Ravello -
Nam e s that linger in the memory like sunset hue s ,
The Belvedere      with its many magic views,
Ravello Is mountain-climbs        and chestnut graves,
Its sturdy natural peasants, swift to song;

Its old remains    and gardens,    its qui et hour s of thought.
Then Cava and Pompei        - first glimpse    of Roman life;
In ashes tho ' it lay, still charming, still hinting of the
beauty of its prime,
Revealing inner secrets   of the Roman home.
One forro still lingers in my mind, indelibly impressed -
One frozen feminine forro baring its lines of beauty
to the world -
A Roman maiden who found immortality      in death.

O, Rome! once mistress          of the world, now of my h ea r t,
What words can tell thy clas sic charro?
The inspiration    of thy potency
Moulded by the hand of man in forros of beauty that no
year s can dull;
Thy ancient ruins, thy rn e di ee va.I streets;
Thy sculptures     so expressive     of the past;
Thy Sistine Chapel that can still amaze a world;
Thy vistas, dissolving one upon the other like swiítly
moving films.
My mind' s eye now sees the sunset glories from thy
Pinchon hill;
Now proudly mounts thy Sparii sh Steps and ba ckwa r d
glances o1er the moonlit rooís;
Now strolls amidst the verdure of Bor ghé s e grounds,
Watching the sunshine sparkle on th e grass.
And scanning every passer-by,
Now dimly threads the leafy labyrinth of the Doria park
With a fair friend, under a fair sunset sky.
Thy narrie shall ever call up memories          of joy;
Oí social calls, new charming faces;
Pleasure    of the opera and dance;
Thy meeting,     Vedder, and the joy oí it;
New friendships,     new !oves íormed
(For to me all friends are lovers);

Those wa lk s , exchange of thoµghts;
·communion      made inspiring by thy great     destiny,
O, Rome!

Florence    - hill girt, eloquent of the Quatro Cento art -
Thy charms half failed us in those dreary weeks of
early spring,
As a fair woman1s face is rendered        ashy gray by cold.
Would that I could see thee once again in the Spring Is
prime -
Could stroll about thy hills;
Could linger on Fiesole,     deep-drinking    of her glorious
view;
Could steep myself in sunshine of Italian skies.
Yet there is one "Sp r i ng " I never shall forget -
Boticelli Is - for in him I found a fr end,í

A mystic friend who speaks to me of joys half-hid,
Of beauties tremulous     to the wistful gaze.

Venice!   I review thy waterways
And greet with joy again St. Ma r ks ,
The Doge1s Palace, the Canal
With all its fairy forms of art domestic.
I see again thy paintings after a lustrum 1s lapse;
And admire, as of old, sorne canva s e s ,
Lose interest   in other s , and find in exchange
New beauties in artists     unappreciated  then.

At last Italy abandoned,    cities left b ehí.nd,
Comes the simple grandeur         of the earth snow-clad;
Of mountain tops outlined against a dazzling sky;
Joy of winter sports,    snow-skiing,     coa s ti ng , walking
under white-capped       fir s
Along the mountain- s ide ,

That was a pleasant         week,
Ma r r e d slightly   by the strain     of too much exercise     -
(Lessons      still to learn in self-restraint,      in patience).
But, on the whole,        a pleasant    week of mingled     work and
play, of bracing      aí r , of snow-lined    sunsets and
of mountain      peaks.

O Muní ch ,
City of famed beer-halls
Where German    families enjoy at slight        expense
Nights of good cheer and rnu s i c ,
Nowhere    in the world are "gemutlicheit" and "music"
so enjoyed together
In one long evening around a social table.
The Germans invented b e e r ,
And they know how to drink it
Slowly for good fellowship.
They also ga ve great mu sic to the world.
And here under one roof
"Culrnba che r " and "Beethoven" flow together.
Her e , too, in Munich science reigns,
Set forth in the wo r Id l s first industrial museum.
Think not that I forget thy a r t, O Munich,
Or thy Wagnerian joys; thy museums and thy civic
splendour s;
Thy perfect cleanliness       and simple elegance;
Nor do I forget thy social joys,
The sight of happy radiant faces, the play of
comradeship,
Of the ideal friendship that subsists
Where Freedom Is youths and maidens hold converse.

And so good-bye to Germany,    with her pleasant
homes,
Her men and women who know how to li ve,
How to. extract from simple thing s their jo y s ,
Amsterdam     next - arioth e r German r a c e , but
different, better dressed;
Joining the vigour of th e Teuton with the Pa r i s g r a ce ,
Thy women, Hol.l.and, are as fair arid charming
As thy smiling meadows and thy subdued sea.

Belgium, with her aping air s of Par is
And her softer r a c e carinot win our hearts as
Holland
Which helped to give our freedom birth.
Nor can her a r t compare to Hol.Iand ' s
In simplicity,   in restraint  or human touch.

París,    city of the Muses' sway,
Robed in thy beauty oí th e courtesan
That pleads for pleasure          and invites to joy;
I lave thee, yet confess, to live too long within
thy atmosphere
Were to forget all effort and accomplishment.
I love th y boul e va r d s , far- stretching to the e ye ,
Fair-lined    with trees,     broad and luxurious,    tempting
the loiterer   on and on,
Where in this world could one stroll on city streets
With half the joy as her e, sa ve in our own fair capital?
Thy pa r k s , thy quainter spot s
Where streets wind in and out amid old buildings;
Thy eager throng on pleasure bent,
Overflowing every boulevard and park.
A scene I never shall forget; to stand
At clase oí day, amid the city dusk -

Her  purple lights on every side - upon
Champs    Elysées
And looking up and down, behold the line of swiftly
moving vehicles;
And in the distance, proudly       limned   against  the sky ,
Thy Arch of Triumph        in an aureole   of mist.
Beauty,   beauty, beauty!      Oh my heart      -
That faster   beats in dreams      of thee -
Here is thy shrine, here is thy home, here thy
decay;
And in the land a eros s the sea, thy resurrection.
And thanks again to th e e , O Paris,
For old friends    and new ones;
For pleasant    social life, for intimate     joys of
lofty conversation.
Thanks for new literary       plans.
And mostly    thanks for th i s ,
That thou hast brought me into comradeship     again
For three short weeks
With that true friend and brother of the East,
Hussein.

Touraine, the Loí r e , chateaux -
How these words charm!
Long sunny r de s , fresh ai r , swift passing scenery
í                                                 -
With sorne goal each day of beauty and of worth;
Sorne cha.teau rich with history and art,
Embellished   with fond hands of many a king
and courtier -
Or, perhaps,    the residence   of love!
Blush not, oh towers,     at what transpired underneath
your roofs!
What a wealth of names - Charnbo r d, Azzy, Chinon,
Loches,

Chaumont,     Chenonceau and Blois -
How can one choose a favourite?
For me Chaumont will ever stand on its fair site
Enticing, beckoning, tempting me to linger o'er
its sunset glory.

Alas,  the pen must lea ve these beauties and
proceed
To Albion Is shore - mi stress of the seas;
To London, hugest city of the world.
There is an inspiration  just in this immensity,
And to travel day by day ba ckwa r d and forward,
miles apar t,
And never yet see limits to thy pale -
This is impres si ve.

Then joy, O London, joy of friends,     new-found
And ol d; joy of swift comrnuní on,
Of thoughts that balance thoughts
And sympathy that makes this old dr ab earth
a song.
Joy of thy suburbs, of thy social life,
The solid pleasures    of thy English heart.

But sorrow,    London, sorrow and great sharn e
For poverty that stalks thy streets;
For privilege that lies entrenched   behind a hundred
barriers   of wrong.
Shame for thy stiff-necked   pride
That plays the miser to thy woman's need,
And dost withhold the social justice of the ag e ,
Strange obdurate r a ce ,
Unyielding to the challenge of the times!
Who shall say thy part is played?

But count me as one who , lover of the world,
Loves still his British brother most.

And so we end the trip -
Bringing   home with us a treasure-trove
Of art; memories         of a thousand   scenes   of beauty;
Clearer   understanding        of the European    life and
pr og r e s s ,

New insight    into human nature.     Thanks to th e e ,
dear friend,
Whose genius has made possible        this trip;
Whose capacity      for work has taught me new
content;
Whose insight     into life
Has lifted many veils for me.

Autumn     Trails

Have  you walked with the autumn wi nd s
When the air breaths a blessing of health;
Have you trod the forests grown old
In hoarding their Le af - blown wealth?

In the glow of the sunset red
When the day1s harsh sounds have fl e d ,
And over the earth
The sky gi ves birth
To its radiance nightly shed?

She Walked        with   Me

O Lo ve , she walked alone wi th me
Upon the borders    oí the sea;
Foam-crested     waves were running hi gh,
And scudding   clouds obscured  the sky.

With   lambert   eyes   she made     the plea
Will you be ever true to me? 11

And I, with consummate    conceit
Said: 11Yes! My ardor will complete.

With the íull force oí the wild wa ve ,
And every quaint adventure brave.
And like those clouds that skim the sky,
My love shall greatly qualiíy."

Beaut y is Immortal

Schubert sold his inspired song s
For a mere pittance,
And died a saddened and discouraged   man.
Little did he dream that through modern
miracles  oí sound
His melodies would reach and bring delight
To audiences oí millions.

He who creates true beauty -
Whether in song or paint, or in fair words -
Becomes thus one of the Irnmortals.

Laila

"What is the s e c r e t, my Laila
That makes   you smile so deep?      11

11  It
is an angel's whisper
That only the heart can ke ep, 11

What is the light from heaven
That shines through your amethyst          eyes?   11

It is a bit of star-glint

That sh on e first in Paradise. 11
What is the magic potion

That makes your charm divine?         11

1 have tasted life's sweetest nectar
-
Love lends me joy of her wirie , 11

Today I Can Only Sing

I am so happy today
And I cannot tell why;
Perhaps it's the light in the air,
Perhaps it's the blue in the sky ,

I do not car e what ma y come
Or what tomorrow may bring;
Today I'm in love with life,
Toda y I can onl y sing.

A Great   Love

Come   in,John, It's good to see you.
Elizabeth has been upon the very verge of death.
They would not let me stay there longer at her side   -
I needed rest, they s aí d, and sent me home.

But I cannot r e st, I cannot bear to be alone,
And so I phoned for you. 'I'ha.nk.s, J'ohn, for coming.
Sit down. He r e ' s sherry  - tha.t ' s your favorite
drink,
As I recall. And he r e+s sorne cigarettes.
Me? No, I'll neither drink no r smoke with you,
But only talk - speak out sad thoughts that burn
within.
Such sharing of my heart with you tonight,
Dear friend, will be the best of ariod yn e s ,

Ours has been a great Io ve l You understand!     And yet
You cannot grasp my full significance
When I say - "Great."     And if you ask - "How great? 11
I might say - "Greater   than words, higher than the
sta r s ,
Ample as life itself, and universal
Like the air we breathe,   yet warm like sun shí ne , 11

But when I say all thi s , what can it mean
To you, unless your heart, like mine, has known
Those ecstasies  but rarely granted mortals?

When I look back, I marvel that I failed
To realize what a paradise  was mine!
She loved me, gave me all her heart and mind,
All her fair body; and yet more - her soul ,

A love so ardent,    so all-possessing     and po s s e s s ed ,
So warm,    so sweetly   gentle, yet so potent
When the flood-tides    flowed!      How often she
declared
She loved my voice,     my springing     gait, my poí s e ,
My eyes, my Ií.ps , my smile of Lo ve , In fact
She loved,    she s ai d, naught less    than all of me.

And I, needless to say, loved all of her -
Adored her smile, the glory of her eyes,
Her buoyancy arid spring-like energy of youth.

She knew her love for me before I knew
My love for her. In fa ct , she broached it fir st,
Or else perhaps we never would have mated.
For I could not , I'm sure, have brought myself
To propose that such disparity of age
Should join in wedded bliss. It would have been
Too selfish of me to have asked her youthfulness
To find the consummation    of her life
In me - the warmth of June mated to Novernb e r ,
But so it was!   We loved, and joined our lives!
I guess that it was meant to be; so she declares,
At any rate. A marriage     made in heaven.
This I know, it ha.s brought a heaven-on-earth     to me!

I ask her sometimes   if she doesn't regret
Not marrying   a younger man.    No, she says -
After meeting me she couldn 't endure
Men of her age or there-abouts. What could
They talk about compared with me?       I don 't mean
To vaunt myself. For it was she declared
Our talk together ranged the universe,
Plumbed depths of knowledge,     soared on wings

Oí ecstasy in sharing side by side
Beauties oí nature, oí music and oí poe sy,
Toward everything we felt the same reaction.
Twin soul s , you say? She made it simpler.
''We are the same! 11 she used to say, referring
To a stirring love-theme    she had seen portrayed
Upan the screen,   oí simple mountain maid and man.
11We
are the same! 11 she oíten s aí d, 11For see
How we respond the same to everything! 11

And it wa s true, we dí d, In very fact,
It was amazing how we shared each oth e r ' s thoughts
And feeling s. I wonder ií two souls can join
Their roots together so the fruitage stems
From both?     In truth, it seemed that way with u s ,

I could say oí her, as Poe said oí "Annabe l Lee'',
That she had no thought than to lave and be loved by me.
And such Io ve is r a r e these days - with women's
rights,               .
And woman1s conílicts between love arid self-expression.
But truly, what is self-expression      in a woman?
Who knows?       Perhaps it finds its best íulfillment
In wifely devotion to a mate, a home,
And happy children; in joy at her husband Is skill
And ca r e e r - progress,     That! s what Elizabeth thinks,
At any rate. She says, "That' s the kind oí self-
expression
That suits me - to li ve in you and in your work. 11

One might go further into this philosophy oí sex     -
A subject deep as life itself. The yin and yang
That so intrigued philosophers  in China
From long ago - the Active and the Passive;

The male,creative       .. and the mate r e c eptí ve ,
Isn't that how life ftself is made?         Doe s the same
Relationship    exist on mental planes?
The male being typically the creator;
And the female,      silent par tne r , furnishing
Occultly psychic and spiritual         support .,-
Joining her soul-stuff to his so that the fruit
That i s sue s, the creation,      is of them both,
Yet both to function in their ówn--sex wa y.

Well, that is what she thinks; and far from me
To disagree,   seeing my real success is dueto he r a-
Due to her spiritual and selfless love;
Her buoying up of all my psychic strength;
Her fructifying ardor laid upon the altar
Of my creative urge, both light and warmth
To me. The resulting gains are palpable
To all who read and praise my latest works.

And now, am I to lose this light of life?
It's fifty-fifty whether she live or die.
There Is sorne hope left, thank. God, but not too much!
Why did we risk it! The doctors warned us
childbirth
Might be dangerous. But she, in her sweet way,
persisted.
She craved a child by me, pledge of our love:
A tiny replica to repeat the traits she loved
In me - blue eyes, kind mouth, and all the rest -
A bundle of love, to live upon her breast,
Grow strong within her arms, and gladden her
(She dreaded to speak of this) when I am gorie,
And so we risked it - and I ha ve a son,
But in the doing may have lost a wife!
I shame to say, this is no recompense!
(paces up and down in silence)
Yes, I should be silent after such a speech -

Should be a shamed, But we're not masters   of
Our will. Rather, our emotions master us,
And so you see me in this mood tonight -
And I am at this moment torn in two
Between desire to know the wor st, and fear
To ascertain  it.

"Why not try, " you say?   "The news may be goodv "
Well, why not?   Here goes -

What? - There1s more than fifty-fifty chance?
Good hope? Thank God for that! Now I can sleep.

Well, John, you1re here to see the curtain fall
On happier ending to Act Two than I
Had dared to hope for. Act One was deep despair.
Pray God Act Three may yet still better fare,
And bring the drama to a joyous end,
"Amen! Amen!" you say? Thank you, dear friend!
I need not keep you longer. You may go,
Your kindly visit has relieved my woe.
Now I can sleep. Thank God - I say again!
Whennext I see you, pray there be no pain!

Irnmanence

Down the long puzzled corridor s of Time
Eternity slips by with veiléd face;
Nor realize we its hourly immanence,
Or that Infinity inhabits present space,

Sunset
Publ.í sh ed , 1902,   Dartmouth    Literary     Magazine

Slowly   the   dying day is waning in the west;
Slowly   the   sun is sinking to its re st;
Slowly   the   crimson   changes  to a gentler hu e;
Slowly   the   pink gives place to night1s majestic       blue;
The day is done.

Dusk in a City

In the dusk there is something        att r a ct s me,
In the dusk of a lar ge city.
I love to feel the coming on of ni ght,
To know the luminous sta r s will soon appe a r ,
I love the golden lamps of city streets,
And the afterglow in the sky.

I stand in the midst of a street
And wat ch its dirn perspective     vanish
In a purple mist.
I stand on a street corner
And watch the passers-by      intent on th ei r home-going.,.
I stand and look in a shop window golden with light.
The moments swiftly pass.
I turn -
The sky is ví.olet, and the night has come.

Absence

I send my dearest love to you
And waft it with a ki s s ,
Even absence can be bliss
When it preves love to be so distant-true.

Would that our arms could intertwine.
That still I could embrace you
With ardent aspect face you
And feel your warm heart nestle against     mine.

But spirit can with magic power
Defy the laws of spa ce;
Make Time yield up its grace
To shrink Eternity to one glad hour ,

This hour, th en , I spend with you
In thoughts of happy da ys
In memory of gracious ways
Which erstwhile   preved your love so warmly    true.

Retreat

Sweet is the path of dalliance, when
The west wind blows;
And sunshine spreads felicity
And joy abounding flows.

But ha r d, oh ha r d , th e bitter steps
Retracing    such a path;
Striving, struggling on against
The north wind Is blast!

The Saint

The Saint is one whom light shines through,          they   say.
His vision of the truth can far outspan
Earthly   horizons,     for by Cosmic Ray
He glimpses     regions    beyond human ken,

Reality  transcendent     and sublime
Along can motivate      his lonely soul.
His s cope no space can limit, nor can time.
The Universa.!    is his que st and goal.

He breaks     the fabric   of Society
With forces     uncondítioned    and unborn
Oí men.     It is his airo to boldly free
Humans from all that renders         life forlorn.

He makes for progress,     for deliverance.
He sets th e captive free, raises th e de ad,
And fills the barren soil with serní nanc e ,
And where the sheep are hungry, sees them fed ,

God ' s Bestowal

Why do you fear, faint heart?
The trees are budding bliss,
The shrubs in flower,
And nature grows more beautiful each hou r ,
Can you perceive all this,
And not with joy claim your own par t
Of that which God bestows as radíant power?

With Dante

Eye hath not seen, ea r hath not heard
Those things for which men Is hearts are fain   -
Strange joys and loveliness  in store
Beyond this meagre earth-bound     pla ne ,

But we, with Dante, have been blessed
To soar aloft and receive sight
And touch of Love Superna!; to swoon
Almost, before Its dazzling light.

A Toast to Love

Love is life's central law
And hath not any flaw.
Love travels ne a r and travels far,
It move s the atom and the sta r ,
And median in this Cosmic s pari,
Love plays the tyrant over man.
Benevolent tyrant,    we must grant,
It satisfies  our every want.
To such a ruler we give toast -
Love , ever be our benign ho st ,

Harvests

Love, make fertile the soil of my heart
And deeper plow this Iand, to bear
Flowers of poesy more fair
And harvests rich for Beauty's rna r t,

If Dreams     were   True

If dreams were true
I'd be with you
Tonight, dear one -
If dreams were only true!

The shades of evening falling,
Then would I sink to sleep
And send my soul thineward
Over the mystic deep -
Somewhere to meet under the stars;
Sorn ewher e the soul Is tryst to ke ep,
In dreamland where no distance ba r s ,

Did I not dream befare,  dear one,
That thou wert near?
That thy soul' s fragrance beat in space?
That thou wert with me fa ce to face,
And I forgot to fear?

Did I not feel thy strength as mine
When morning light did beam?
Did I not bear a song away
And sing i t all the li ve long da y -
From that sweet holy dream?

If dreams     are true,    then I shall be with you
Tonight.
Let space be as it may,
Let time refuse to stay,
If dreams are true, then I shall be with you,

Picnic   in January

It has come Saturday,   so let us play -
Our stage the river-bank, our time, a day
That's bright with sunshine andas warmly rare
As if June mixed her warmth with winter ai r ,

Here let us spend our hour s, let Nature steep
Our very souls with her elixir deep
Of joy. And when eyes have had their fill,
Then taste the nectar poetry can distill.

Woo Browning's    histrionic vivid power;
Let Shelley' s beauty spell a trancéd hour
Under blue skies where he so liked to r ove ,
Conceive his poems, meditate his Lo ve ,

But Iook, how cloud-wisps   fill the pastel sky
Presenting  its own poetry to the eye;
Upan the river silver moonlight glows;
The water rippling as the soft breeze blows.

Now r adí ant has come the sunset time.
And we can leave all artificial rhyme
For the r apt poesy that Nature gives
To every heart that burns where Beauty thrives.

Twin cedars dark against a luminous west,
The eastern sky in softer colors dr e s s edy-.
All this mild beauty so intrigues the heart,
We're fain to stay and helpless to depart.

And now more luminous grows the sil ver moon
Riding a pink and azure sky in tune
With sorne faint mystic meaning,     as if to say
11!
bring new joys with the departing day. 11

Pack up the lunch thi ng s , Put each precious     book
Safe in the satchel.  Take one lingering    look
At Nature Is wide drcumference     of beauty -
Then, ba ck to ci vilization    and to duty.

Forget, Forgi ve

Forget, forgive!
We have but once to Ii ve ,
Why clutter up the years
With obstacles   arid fears?

Let us not hold so fast
To troubles that have pa s s ed ,
There come new suns
As each year runs -
And pe a ce will dawn at last.

Love

An ounce of the attar of Lov e
Outweighs mere gol d,
Outshines the fairest gems,
Thrills more than story ever told,
Outvalues pa.Lac e s and pomp
And all the clas sic beauty
Oí a world grown old.

Elyseum

Elyseum is where you are, Mavou rn ee n!
Contentment is the land in which you dwell.
And where the sunshine gilds those Deathless       Fields,
You walk amidst the flowers of asphodel.

Joy

Joy, from her own high cour t,
Wandered one day to Earth.
She found it a disheveled  place,
Where wastrel mirth
Too much debased.      Where grace
Of a true happine s s was naught,

Then filled with quick dismay
She turned to haste away -
But the Creator laid a staying hand
Upan her spi r it, with the soft command:

"Sta y here!   No accident
Caused your abrupt d e sc ent,
'Twas as We planned.
Your presence    here is meant
To change the pulse of Earth;
To replace sin and sadness
With sanctity and worth,
And to establish   gladnes s.
You are the envoy of my Love.
That life is good, it is your task to preve. 11

Cupid Recks   Not

Among earth1s fair ones we pick and choo s e ,
This one for intellect, that for wit -
But Love does not enquire whom his arrows hit,
Nor upon whom to ca st his noose!

To Irene    - Aged Six

Irene,   you bring from sunny Greece
A nature   all inclined to "pe a ce 1¡
Just as your narne implies.
Beauty dwells upon your fa ce ,
You move with vibrant strength         and gr a ce ,
And wisdom lights your e ye s ,

Whence is deri ved that extra sen se,
That quick and sure intelligence
Which colors all you do?
Your roots reach long into the pa st -
Do racial qualities still last?
Is the Greek genius true?

Imagination   still can trace,
In classic features of your fa c e ,
The beauty that was Greece.
In all things to be moderate
Is in you such a ruling trait
As Plato could r el ea s e ,

To aid you in your upward way
Is but a rightful debt to pay,
Which the world owes
To the Greek mind, which ever sought,
And found by concentrated    thought ,
Light where the spirit glows.

Poetry

Greatness   inhabits poetry, so it s e ern s ,
Not by strange meter s or enraptured       d r earn s ,
But lending luminosity to simple themes.

O Come to Me, My Love

The wind is sighing:
"0 come to me, my love,
While in the west the day is dying
And clouds are lit with gold above l "

The twilight birds are calling
And laughs the distant Ioon,
And now refreshing   dew is falling
In the shadow of the rrioon,

O come to me, my Iove]
For the night is not complete
Save as thy beauty
With the beauty of the stars doth meet.

Joy Versus     Happiness

Like dawn and sunset colors
Happiness is transitory   -
But joy is as abiding as the air we breathe.

Happiness is ephemeral;
It is like the morning dew,
Which when dissapated    by the glare of day
Is as if it had never been.
But joy is as constant as Nature1s rythmic pulse.

Happiness is a gift at times bestowed
By the benevolence  of God .
But joy is our own victory over life.

To the Sanbo rris , (Proprietors of Mountain   View
House, North Woodstock, N. H.)

Yea r s, treat them gently as they treat their guest.
Life is a car avans e r aí , at best -
A Golden Inn where friend encounters      friend,
And celebra tes that tie to journey' s erid,

The First     Letter

Your letter charged with radiant love is here,
The first received since we were forced to part.
Its very penstrokes  fill my soul with ch e e r ,
Its words electrify my yearning h e a r t,

A joy so great could not in normal peace
Be ruminated, as one tastes content,
Sorne action must the tensing nerves release.
And so along th e terraced  walk I went.

The river pines in the soft summer ní ght,
The eres cent moon and the undying stars
Whispered to me sorne Island of Delight,
Where time and trouble set no irking bar s.

And now this view, that with such beauty teems,
Dissolves into strange distances  that lead
Beyond this world, into a land of dreams,
Where souls on love' s ambrosia  ever feed.

You are My Audience

You are my audience      -
You can understand
My r aptur e s , my creative dreams.
You hold my hand
While r ag e s the daemonic force
That brings fruition where abundance    teems.

The world as yet is little keen
To listen to my songs.
It goes its somber ways
And gives to Ca e s a r what to him belongs.
It has no time to pause and j oy
In scent a nd hue of roses at my gate.
Its pre ssing duties sweep it swift along -
And I am only still an oth e r one
Amidst the busy pulsing throng.

I am only one, to many -
But to thee, belové'd, all.
This is my joy and inspiration.
This is the hopeful call
Of Destiny to me, bidding me strive
Creatively
While faith is still a.Iive ,

Love K.nows no Limit

Lave never can be limited in scope.
As sight is nothing if not constant seeing     -
So lave is nothing if it does not reach
To every nook and cranny of our being.

Beauty

One thing I see quite cl.ea r -
That life' s transcendent     beauty
God holds supremely       d ea r ,
But what can we sa y of duty?

The one has eminent      dorn aí.n,
. Is the other an intrusion?
And if we can not both r etaíri,
Which wins in the confusion?

It well may be the cosmic    plan
To unite one with the other;
And only in the mind of man
Is duty any bother.

On a Sunset     Hill

Life struggles,    forges   ahead somehow.
Earth is sore-furrowed       with the plough;
Harvests  are yielded     only to delve and toil;
What we would gain, we scatter        all to wi n]
We strive,  we sweat in daily work and moil,
And when we seek to bring our harvests  in,
The joy they give is never sweet enow.

But in a mom ent, on a sunset hill
By a thrush- choraled thicket crowned,
Life discovers   how it can stand still -
All cares,  all sorrows drowned;
While Earth and Heaven the charmed senses            fi Il ,
And Eternity stands close a r ound ,

Discarnate       Lave

Shelley,   in a letter    to his   friend   Gisborne,   wrote:   11!
think one is always in lave with something or other;
th e error  - and I confess it is not easy far spirits
cased in flesh and blood to avoid it - consists in seek-
ing in a mortal image the likeness of what is perhaps
eternal. 11

It is no t earthly lave the poet seek.s,
But a brief foretaste   of the lave divine -
That tender passion that invites and heals
Hearts that in bitter loneliness    repine.

Where such compassion       flows in human f r arn e ,
Th e poet hastens to absorb and give
That ecstasy which union can impart
To all that breathe and warmly move and live.
It is this Spirit that encompasses
The planet, far its paradisal    good,
To move each being into ha rrnony
With the celestial,   universal  mood.

The poet brings to all this human love
Intuitive power of sight
And seeing far beyond the multitude
Discovers   Love's more deeply hid delight.

Love Flew with Ti red Wing s

Young lave, she flew with tired wings
Burdened with pas sions Is weight;
Till wearily she let passion fall -
Oh! Then she rose to heaven1s gate ,

Young Love

Our love was born amidst the April bud s ,
And grew like them to flower
Beneath the aun,
Ah, radiant days!
When all the earth burned with the spring's   caress,
And beauty reigned on every heath and hí Il ,

So faí'nt at fir st the life
That trembled on ea ch bush and tree,
Scarcely could Hope itself foresee
The glorious growth of leaf and blossom.
And love, beneath the guise of friendship,
Grew likewise swiftly to its flower of faith
And made an Eden where our hearts could dwell.

The first smile that trembled on your lips
Was like the stir oí Nature in her spring.
And the first look, full orbed,
That flashed from soul to soul -
Was like the blue oí April skies,
Giving a hint oí Summer's    pa r adí s e ,

Only a Spring-time   idyll?
Ah, then bid Spring forever stay!
That you may still smile on ,
And I may dr e arn ,
Until life's fateful final day,

Why Wake I with Such Joy?

Why wake I with such joy?
Thy heart indeed to my heart must have spoken;
And in the silence of the night
Exchanged love' s token.

Daylight is d e ce i ví ng ,
But in the Spirit world
All secrets are unveí.Ied ,
All mysteries    unfurled.

Look in my eyes and say again
The words you said beneath the stars!
Tell me again th e spirit cannot stay
A prisoner behind its earthly bar s.

I Drink

I <lrink from the well of your eyes,
I feast on the charm of y9ur fa c e ,
Your love is a constant surprise
And a freshly given grace.

Each day is a glory renewed.
Each night a mystic thrill.
From what magic is love brewed,
That its quaff can never fill?

How Can We Part!

One more embrace!
Smooth ba ck your hair
And let me gaze upon your face
And feast upon the beauty th e r e ,
Your lips again to kí s s ,
Sharing compelling bliss!
Thus magnetized   by lave
My feet refuse to rriove ,
I cannot bear to pa r t
From the e , Dear Heart!
Can Heaven offer more than this?

Antoinette    is Coming

Sing for me, thrush, and gaily sing,
For Antoinette is coming!
Sing jubilantly, then, and let your song
Suit my heart's  humming.

Our Love

If it were given me to chant our love
I might build thereto a choir of heavenly song.
And yet, because earth sense is so earth-bound
I merely sing of joys that might belong
On any planet underneath    the sun,
Forgive me, dearest,    that Ido our love such wrong!

I Loved Thee

When the Fates     their    webs were     spinning
In the misty maze of Chao s ,
In the infinite beginning
Before   earth   or sea or sky was -
I loved the e ,

When the primal germ of being
Dormant lay in Natur e+s bo s orn;
When there was not sight nor seeing
And the soul knew not its freedom    -
I loved th e e ,

When what was to be created
First took shape in mind of Chronos;
When the e a r th and sky were mated
And the Chaos became Cosmos -
I loved the e.

All the while that earth lay basking
"Neath the r adí ant glow of sunshine,
In her bosom all life masking
Ready to obey the God- sign -
I loved the e ,

When first man arose divinely,
Walked upright and knew hi s hour;
And the female built more finely,
Held man Is might with gentler power            -
I loved the e ,

And through life's eternal journey  -
Since my love is part of Being -
Who would choose to rend you from me?
Even God would choose not , seeing
How I loved thee !

You

You are to me
The bounty of the sea,
Its tangy freshness;
The richness    oí the land
That with an open hand
Dispenses     lar ges s.

To me you bring
Th e beauty oí the Spring,
Its endless gladness;
And Summer Is cheery sun
Through    which each dusk is won
Without chill or sadness.

Each season brings respite,
Each day has new delight
With you beside me.
So may the years go by
And through eternity
Your love betide me.

Beyond Spa c e and Time

Whether he r e , or whether the r e ,
I carmot dream you shall not share
Your life with mine, my life with yours ,-
Yea, a.Iwa y s , with a heart that wears
The imprint of my wakening kiss
As love' s fluorescent   consciousness.

Romance

lf love's our romance,
No day is too long.
For hearts that dance,
Life is a song ,

While blue rules the sky
Da y can 't depart.
With you nearby,
Joy rules my heart.

Aspects    oí Eternity

I had explored the mysteries  oí space;
Wonders of human life; the subtle grace
Tha.t Beauty daily emanates; the joys
That Nature through her Universe deploys.

But one region lay all unexplored;
I never realized Io ve , till I adored
Yourself; and in your cosmic !ove for me
Discovered    aspects of eternity.

There    is no Measure

How do I love you? Can one measure time,
Or set a limit to the sky1 s expanse?
Then why attempt by quantity to mete
That love which Time or Space cannot enhance?

Summer      Night

O gentle breeze of summer night;
O blossoms that rnake sweet the air;
O fa ce so fair, for love Is delight;
O touch so sweet, O perfumed hair!

How beautiful your pledgeful glance;
How soft the loving wor d s , and low;
How moonlight doth our love enhance
With softly scented winds that blow.

A Sla ve to Love?

Who would be sla ve to sill y !ove
When venture beckons him to rove?
Yet who would lonely pace the earth
When !ove has such a potent worth
To soothe the heart, inspire the soul ,
And make life1s disparateness    whole?
Upon the favoring gods it must devolve
To heal this problem that no man can solve.

As I Awake

As I awake from nightly   dreams    of thee,
The dawn spreads golden splinters        on the hill;
And birds are choraling their serenade
In notes that seem to say: "She !oves me still! "

....          -61-
Love

Love is not something   reason   can opine;
It is not, like sunshine, generally  spr ead,
Those only who have felt its spa r k divine
Can know how its eternal fires are fed!

Ever

''I'll love you a.Iways l " is a theme
That thrills in poetry and song.
But íor eternity or for a da y -
It is not time but heart-beats     that are long~

Let Us i n Joyance   Walk

Bel ovéd, let us in all joyance walk
Amidst lush greenness     of eternal val e sr.;
There of our immeasurable       love to talk;
Delight our hearts with fond romantic tales.

We should walk on, nor turn to right or Le ft,
Our course is to sorne mystic gleaming goal,
Where de a r affection never is bereft
And fellowship is pleasant to the soul.

And of the beauties that there meet our eyes,
And of love's splendors,   let us truly tell
The world; that other Iove s , like ou r s , may rise
Skyward on sorne transcendent     star to dwell.

Mea Culpa!

The love that should be thine,
I ch_erished but a day.
The love that might be mine,
I cast it quite away!

Brahma

There is a tree upon which sits
A bird that never flies.
The golden sun illumes its crest
And peaceful, sleeps upon its breast  -
While far below, the world of action Ií e s ,

Pea ce

Far from the raging cr owd,
Far from the surging sea -
Where perfect peace
Can never cease -
There would I dwell with the e ,

Love at a Concert

Two at a concert,  music and Iove ,
Two souls merged in symphonic mood.
Arm against arm the warm blood beata,
But the pulse of two souls is a greater fl ood ,

Love Is Golden

Love is golden.
When it gl.eam s ,
Life's as golden
As it seems.
We are holden
To love1s rays
For the joyousness  that plays,
For the magic of a kiss,
For the strange unending bliss
That fills embrace
Ever with sorne new delight;
And endows
Lovers' vows
With both heat and light.

Love' s Devotion

I waft you my spirit1 s devotion,
The highest love man can know -
A love that the heart tips with fire
And the soul suffuses with glow.

Such love has no form to grow old;
No weight gravitation   resists.
As Iove , its existence is timeless;
As spirit,   it moves as it lists.

O Sweetheart

O sweetheart!
There be many hearts that beat
Th e faster   for thy fairy fac e ,
Yet none with a more ardent heat
Than mine.       Then grant me chiefest    place
Amidst    the fick.le changes  of thy grace.

The Open      Air

Sometimes    the passion    seizes me to go
A-roaming;
A wanderlust    that drives   me o'er the lea
And bring s me home at dusk
Amid the gloaming.

Sometime     s the lengthening      shadows   of the sun
Are fingers     beckoning     me to walk.
Sometimes      I think the evening lies more close
When through       the Le a ve s ,
One h e a r s th e whisper     of a dying b r e e z e ,

Sometimes     I hate to leave the open air -
It seems   as if my soul found comrades     the r e ,
Sometimes     I think I'll follow when the voice
Comrriand s that between      home of man and Nature'      s
haunt s ,
Forevermore        I make a lasting choice.

Glad News!

Leave s, sing in the soft breeze
This glad refrain:
11!
shall see her again soon,
See her soon again. 11

Waves lapping on the shore,
Lisp it soft but clear:
"I shall be with my b e.lovéd ,
Soon be with my dear!      11

Gulls floating in the sky
Spell me, by your fl.íght
And in mystic symbols weave
The theme of my delight:
11She
'11 be her e tonight! 11

Far Meadows

On the far meadows of the world
Where blows the asphodel,
I would with thee, Dear Heart, recline
And all my lave retel!.

There  shall no evil enter there
And nothing to annoy.
For this is Io ve Is sweet sanctity
All dedicate to joy.

And here the magic hours shall pass
While Time itself stands still;
And here the heart a fragrance      breathe
And take of Love its fi Il ,

Thi s is a Land of no Returri,
An Empire     of the Heart       -
No boundaries    to its dornaí.n,
No horizons    apart.

The Garden        Tryst

Bel.ové'd, come to me!
Over the garden,     shadows     softly       mo ve ,
And Natu r e+s subtle spell     invites       to love.
So come to me!

Longing for thee
The heart within me turns to sadness
And all my being burns with madness
For love of th ee ,

Be lové'd, hasten here!
The golden moon will make our             spirits  bright
While summer      perfumes    ravish      the still ní.ght,
Dear He a r t, be near
For my delight!

One Hour

God gave us one sweet hour of Pa r adí s e ,
How we arrived   there, and by what device,
I know not; or why He will not let us stay
In this r apt spot forever     and a day.

Dreamland

Where have I been!    A memory lingering,
Fails to establish a revealing  clue.
From half asleep I wake with strange delight;
This hour in dreamland    I may have spent with you!

I Left You

I left you and the spirit drooped its wings
And forgot the song it daily sing s
Since you and I were one ,
How trails its path along the dust,
How the glad beatings of its heart are hu sh ed,
How faded is its ga rb,
That once of Love ' s own golden threads   was spun!

PART II

POEMS OF THE SPIRIT
A Thought      in the Midst   of Nature

Get rid of your little  self,
It only stands in the way!
Become    empty,
Then fill your self with the Universal;
Let it flow into you
And occupy the spa ce hitherto   occupied         by the   self.

Live in the Universal,
Act from the Universal,
And you will be come empowered           by the   Universal.

There     is no Abstract

There is no abstract  Love , but only love
In reference to other s - vital streams
That surge from pole to pole and subtly cha r g e
The batteries of life with paradisal dr e arn s ,

There is no Beauty but is palpable,
To blossom forth in roses,    paint the sky
With sunset hue s , ernbue the human flesh
With gr ac eyand bring each seed to fructify,

There is no abstract   Godj but only Life
Expressed  in for m s that rythmically  be at
With cosmic energy. And back of these -
The Traceless    Cause of all that is concrete.

Reas surance

Why did you lea ve us at the prime          of life?
There was no sin, no failure,           or no strife
To cause your going.        Rath e r , your too young days
Were spent in fair and ever praiseful            ways.
Y ou stood the well belové'd and the dear
To all who knew you, and your path seemed              clear
To fame,    to fortune,    and to great achievement.         Now
You lie beneath     fields where flowrets        grow,
Fair in their springtime        ecstasy;   but to you
Their beauty     - all earth's     beauty   - forever   lost to view.
It is not just of Destiny     to play this pa r t
Of tragedy,    and steal you from our mournful           heart.
You had many y ea r s to Li ve , to Io ve , to jo y,
On this fair pl.anet , Death claimed         you yet a child -
Passed   many to whom life was aging grief
To seize your youth.        Too cruel such a fate, beyond belief.

Dear grieving  friends, you know earth-life        is fair,
But think you life yields no joy, no beauty       here
In this land unknown to you, now known to me
In dawning splendor as death' s shadows flee?
Be lo véd , no scene that earthly eyes behold -
.No mountain range upsoaring fold on fold,
No sea coast with dark cr ag s and shining sho r e ,
No gracious woodlands whispering their leafy lore
Can in the slightest vie with scenes we see
Beneath this glorious cosmic can opy,
Beauty to you is but an írnag e faint
Of that great Beauty celestial      seasons paint.
Bright exquisite episodes and joys of dr e arn s
Granted at times to mortals       - now it seems -
Were but a foretaste    of tha t joy divine
Which this immortal life doth render mine.

What More      Can I Ask?

Here I am in the midst of b eauty,
Gazing over the tree-rimmed river
Toward the horizon of Eternity.
What more can I ask or want;
Save that all who thus sit here -
Now and in the future years -
Will also feel th e Pea ce of God
And a tranquil joy of living.

Cosmic    Gr ac e

All creatures    share the divine gift of life,
But human life is more than flesh and blood;
And man alone, of all created things,
Is gi ven appetite for spiritual food ,

Alone of all created things, his soul
Escapes disintegration and decay;
He needs Bread oí Heaven for this g r owth ,
And Divine guidance on his cosmic way.

Let brutes fulfill their blinded destiny,
Let molecules    cohere by na.tur e ' s Iaw,
But man may mount to more empyrical          heights
By secret paths his spirit vision saw,

Man' s power is to consciously  contact
The cosmic Energy, the creative Might
That buoys th e universe with vibrant life,
And floods man' s spirit with celestial light.

Why This Sadness?

We have not destroyed thy joy,
But only the obstacles  to joy.
Hast thou not heard
That thou must love Us more than these?
Our love is j ea.Ious ,
And it brooks no rival Iove ,

Thy heart is Our terrestial     home.
But how can the Beloved abide with strangers
in thi s home ?
The temple of thy being is Our throne -
But must be purged before we reign therein.
Then loo sen the world Is hold upon thee.
Love , farn e; and riches,
These earthly shadows melt away
When Sunlight scatters     darkness  from its path,

The Greatest    Truth

The pity is, life' s greatest truth
That takes away from life all ruth
Is still too little known to man.
The Milky Way he learns to sean,
And all creation tries to sp an;
Escaping what a child may find,
A truth not conquered by the mind -
That God is here and God is kí nd,
And we are part of Hi s eternal plan.

Involuted   Force

Matter  is involuted force. But what, essentially
is force?
Here lies a cosmic mystery   - to trace life to its
primal source.

The Source is One - there is no mediation, no
difference   between
Matter in universal   patent motion, and force
that noves un s e en,

But man, on the periphery    of life, is torn
by dualism.
Matter is the stage on which he a ct s , but
Spirit brings a s chí sm ,

Man lived as matter and obeyed its laws - he
moved as nature Is al.ave ,
Like birds and beasts he strove for daily bread
from infancy to grave.

And like dumb brute s, was buffeted and moved
by Motion-under-Law.
But Man is more than matter,    and his soul
outmastered all it saw,

For Man is sparked by that sarn e vital Force
that everywhere  deploys
Matter in myriads of specious forms
the universe enjoys.

Man also is deployed - submission   is hi s
fealty, hi s par t.
But his seeming helplessness  need yíeld no more
than fealty of heart.

Man I s m.ind, in union wi th the Central Mindg;
the Pulse-Beat of Existence     -
Enables him to mold a mastered      world
against its dumb resistance.

The Demiurge

What Cosmic Power lies behind the birth
Of suns and constellations?
What purposed pattern governs all the growth
Of people and of nations?

Nature  is not hapha za.r d, Even rocks
Obey the Cosmic Will;
And lofty mountains melt to nothingness
Under continuous rill.

We live by years and centur e s , and sean
í

A stable wor ld, it seems.
But Time, when viewed as a foreshortened      film
Make s life a garish dream.

For as in nightmar es , scenes so swiftly change
That eons pass as hour s,
Earth1s story is a drama strangely  shown
Of vast Titanic powe r s ,

Life   Eternal

Self-love and Cosmic  Lave
Cannot at the same moment
Occupy the house of the soul.
One or the other
Must be par amount,

If self-love rules
This house will not be sanctified.
It will remain a pagan temple,
Dedicated to selfishness,    to pride,
And to a host of di sha rrnoní.c a,

He only who will lose his life
Shall save it unto Life Eternal!

Regal in the Realm        of Spí r it

What is the es sence of r eldg ion ?
It is attuning oneself to the Uní.ve r s e ,
Existence is a symphony
Where ea ch must play his part harmoniously.
Mere goodness, of itself, is not enough.
'l'h~ state of harmlessness, so worth attaining,
Is only the first step toward ultimate perfection.
To be fulfilled we must be greater than our deeds.
We must become the rulers oí our soul s-
And regal in the realm oí Spirit.

Celestial   Gue st

Come in, my Lord, and take your place;
You are awaited her e,
The hearth is swept, the house is filled
With an expectant cheer e

At lastYou come!    At last You deign
Our emptiness   to fill!
Without Your presence   walls are bare
And joy stops at the sill.

Awaiting You with longing heart
We lived but for this day,
And now we have one boon to ask:
Here may Your Presence     stay;
Here may Your love its blessings   pour
Forever and for a ye!

The Little     Child

Why <lid Christ set the little child
Before us
As example of perfection?
It is because the child is full of cheer,
Full of expe ctatfon,
And devoid of animosity.

The child can lean upon the Universe
With faith free from all anxiety.
lf we could but remain thus chfldlfke ,
And still possess the mind and will of the adult,
We should arrive at life's maturity.

Journey   Through    the Night

Come, O soul., let us through prayer
Rise high above the planes of care
To the Throne of Eminence
Where angels chanta heavenly air
Of aweetne e a, awe and reverence
For that divine unseen Presence
Which all beings ,~l'om their birth
Strive toward, as the rotating Earth
Strives toward the Sun, yet never reaches.
So gravitate  all thíng s, all czeatur-ee,
Ali beings both oí Earth and Heaven,
All essences   of the planes aeven,

The night is young ~ there is yet time
To journey to this heavenly clime.
The body we will leave behind -
Too heavy for the soul and mind
To carry through such starry spaces;
Too gross to share celestial     graces.
Let it be tb.ere wrapt in sleep,
Let it rest in slumber deep.
Such a journey would fatigue it8
Such an altitude would grieve it.

Re st in peac e, then, body dear -
We shall find you lying here
On our return; and when you wake
You may of our joys partake.
You will greet a happier dawn
And forget ali times forlorn.
You will wonder why you sing;
But no remembrance      will you bring

To penetrate  your grosser state,
Except this ecstasy elate
Like music at God's Heavenly Gate.

This Planetary   Task

Would you enlarge the pattern of your lives?
Love one anothe r !
He who for self too much contrives
Manages to smother
The soul within him.
If we would fill our life Is cup to the brim
And rejoice the angels of our birth,
We must love our fellows every one ,
And hasten to establish unity upon this strife-torn earth;
There is no foreignness     beneath the sun.
The divine bounties follow him who ever strives
To be to all mankind a brother.
Then take no rest until this planetary task is done.

The Divine Presence

What is this Presence  that the saints speak of?
We can't see God, as Moses saw Him in the Burníng      Bush
We do not hear Him calf , as Samuel did;
We do not feel Him take our hand to r se,í

As did the child of Rome Is centur ian,
Yet we can feel His Presence   if we so elect;
And by much seeking we can draw Him to us.

Love Conquer eth All

Say not that Lave is blind.
It hath a keener sight
Than any hawk that swoops its prey
From airy height.

Say not that Love is weak.
There is no !ion so strong.
It cleaves unto its trembling  prey
A time lif e-long.

Say not that Love is vain.
The universal  law
Enjoins that death and lave be man1s
For evermore.

Say not that Love is false.
It is the binding force
That maketh law and freedom one
From the same s our ce ,

The Feast   at Canna

At Canna Is íeast our Lord broke bread,
And gave Hi s friends the gift of wine -
To prove that earthly joys are good
And !ove may flow as comrades     dí.ne ,

Joie   de Vi vre

When things flow normally,       it is a joy
Just to exist,  to feel, to thrive
As part and pulse of Universal       force   -
Rej oicing in the gift to be ali ve.

This consciousness    of life, this inwardness
Of power is foretaste   of Eternity,
Where all things flow in a transcendent     stream
And vivid thoughts become      reality.

Then stop, from time to time, to savor Ií fe ,
And let the world slip by without concern
Of time or trouble   - k.nowing every joy,
Once tasted, cannot fail but to return.

The   Cosmic      Melody

As the Cosmos      vibrates musically,
And all else s ta.y s still
This rnu s c, all-embracing
í                   and intoxicating;
It has no prelude or conclusion.
While drink.ing in th e golden notes       of the
Celestial flute ,
The h e a r t forgets to beat.

Thi s music never ceases,
But our capacity to hear is transient;
For mortal frame cannot endure too long
Such ecstasy of Being.

I Can 't See God

I can 1t see God,
He is beyond my ken!
But yet I can envision Him
In many things around me.
I can see Him in the flowers of spring,
In sprays of apple blos soros,
And in the r apt hearts of roses.

I can see God in the lilting flight of birds
And hear Him in their joyous s ong s,
I can see Him in the foliage
That gently flutters in the summer b r e e z e ,
I can see Hirn in the azure sky
Softly fleeced with floating cl.oud s ,

And I can see Him be st in fellow men -
Men of integrity and solid worth;
Men of splendidly creative minds,
Of noble hearts and dedicated souls.
In women whose gracious syrnpath y,
Like sunshine, warms the path of Ii fe ,
And coaxes growth in children as in fl.owe r s ,

And I can see Him in the little child
Who constantly beholds our Father' s fa ce , 11
The child, who comes from Heaven
"Ta-ail.íng clouds oí glory as he comes. 11
Here I perceive the divine qualities
Of freshness    and of spontaneity;
Swift powers oí creativeness;
A cosmic love which is outflowing
Without the limitations    of de aí gn,
Or any bounda r e s ,
í

I can not here see Godo
But I can see so many lovely things    on eaxth
Which speak to me of God,
That l can feel I know Him intimatel   v-

The Way

The sage studies the nature of exí stence
So that he can establish harmony within himself       -
And thus with othez s, and the Universe.
He avoids pzíde as lifeºs chief arroganceº
He expresses   gentlenes s, humility and Iove;
And by so doing wins all people to hírn,
Because he eeeks only to gíve,
No one opposes him.
He constantly adores that One
Whose e s sence is Celestial Harmony
Whose inner mystery is Love,

Zen

A cup must be empty before it is fiUed;
The subtlest music is when sound is stilled.
Frail feather s can safel y outride the storm~
Kind souls traverse   danger without any harm.

Who strives for self has a pitiful goal;
Forgetting the self endows man with the Whole.

Forgetting time gives us endless birth.
And love rnake s us deathless while still on Earth.

-83- -

----------
What do You Now, Bright    Spirit?

Bright spirit0 tell me prayv what do you now?
Does-Heaven urge to actfon, as on Earth?
Do neceasary taaks await ycur skill?
Or are you in a world where pensive thought
Holds your attentíon, holds you all enrapt?
Where Beauty wea ves her magic spell
And you recline in fields of asphodel?

Have you forever left the ti.es of Earth?
Or are you cognizant of deeds done her e,
Where aU. the world's a stage, and drama shifts
Inconsequentially to teae s and gloom
From grateful stretch of warm and halcyon days?
Are you disturbed by these events? And do
You yeazn to rectify what mortals wrong?
Ala s, it is no Heaven where angels mourn
Or are concerned with the affaire of Earth
More than is naedful, from their vantage poínt,

00 not for you, up There0 to be constrained
Or worry longer against chance or fate
Which actí vates the drab concerns of Earth.
You are at peace, you live in quiet powe r ,
Concerned with loftier activities
And glories past our boundaries oí thought,

You need not look below. But we have need
To look Above, haply to seek you There
By means of faithful love and earnest prayer ,
We need your help, the vibrance of your love,
That added power all souls possess above;
We need your guídance, spirit counseling,

We need what sainUy comfort you can bring
From that Abstraction   we call Pa r adí s e ,
We need what Higher Wisdom can devise
To urge our spiritual progress   now and he r e ,
Preparing us for service in your Sphere.

Then hold our hand s, be with us night and day.
Lend us your bz-ightne as , that we wend our way
To that immortal  bour ne , so strange to this,
Where light and joy share an eternal bliss.

Only There    Remains!

Life is ephemeral   -
Only there remains
The noble profile of the hills,
Grandeur of mountain-chains.

The strongest   th r one s will break,
And dynasties will fall;
As for earth1s comrnone r s ,
Oblivion covers al.I,

Chang e , change, change!
Extinction follows life;
The Reaper with his ruthless      scythe,
Time with impetuous knife.

OuUasting all the hills,
More durable than rocks
Love , only, can eternalize
And wiri against Time's shocks.

The Mystery        of Life

The mystery of life!
Is it deoxyribone-nucleic-acid?
Or is it something el se,
Beyond the realm of physics           and biology?

He who would penetrate     thí a mystery
Must penetrate   behind the veil
That matter hangs before our eyes
To curtain off Re ali ty;
Must first acquire new powers of sí.ght,
Gain other eyes to see,
That matter is but spirit in disguise.

Make this the primary   axiom
Of a new search for Truth - a trail
That leads beyond the ken of the materialist
To a new universe of Spirit;
Spirit that creates and molda to forro
Ali matter that our outer sight r eveal s ,

Let.' s ata rt; then, with this axiom,
An axiom which logic cannot prove.
For as Ouspensky says,
The Spirit deals in other terms
Than those the Greeks established.
Call it "illogic", call it "Intuí tí on ",
Call it what you will -
So long as you acknowledge this:
That matter is but Spirit in disguise.

This stupidity of the materialist,
The Hindus hada name for t,       í

Milleniwns   ago they called it Mayaness ~
Strange blindness causing hwnans to remain
Contcnt at the mere gateway to the Universe,
When all they had e.xplored
Was that which Life externalized.
"Maya" - "Dlusion" - a good name
For deoxyribone-nucleic-acid!

But let' s forget the physicist,
And with new eye explore the Uníver se ,
With this new-eye .. of-God we shall discern
In every atom doors to certain Truth -
To knowledge that transcends the sense-wczld,
This is the Univerae we should explore,
The Noosphere, as Chardin called it.

Let'a realize that we are a part -
A struggling, still evolving part -
Of a stupendous Stream of Life
That flows through ali Eternity e
And in tbis realm, Spirit-ruled,
What is the role that man mu.st play?
Let' s lea ve the laboratories for a while -
Leave lene and scalpel to the scientists -
And venture into new-dimensional fields
Unexplored by footrule or by telescope.

Let's realize0 with our inner sight,,
We stand upon the threshold oí a magic age,
The da wn of a new da y;
Whenall hwnanity wi.11 find its way to God,
Or be sloughed off, perhaps,
By cosmologic fate.

The most tha.t sctence can perform
Is feed and clothe ua, give us domí cík,
And speed us thxough the vacant skies
Like Ovid Is hor seman
Ever followed by our discontent.
Science brings no panacea; no cure~allp
It has no remedy for Life itself!
Spirit0 only11 can perfect the life
Thai staxted on Creation's fateful day,

Unspiritual.ma.n is creature of eventa;
Victim of circumstance;
Flotsam and jetsam on the stream of life;
Caught in a whirl to which he has no clue,
This tragic situation he well knows ~
But ignores its r emedy,

But spiritual man knows his directions;
Holds his tiller fearlessly
Through sunshine and through storm,
To distant harbors of success -
Supreme of which is how to live ser enefy,
The man of Spirit knows his goal s;
He knows his powex, too -
Whence and how it is derived
To motívate; to energize and heaf,
He walks upon the earth
As man was meant to walk on that far day
Whenfirst he stood ezect,
Looked skywazd,
And began his human evolutíon,

Yes11 skyward is the look
And skyward is the goal,
Man led by spirit is no stranger on the eazth,
Tha.tvery Power that created him
Now recreates hírn, too;

~88-
Guides him in pe rpl exity,
Empowers him when we ak,
Rejoices him when sa d,
And gives him never failing strength
For noble deeds)
Deeds free from greed and strain.

But why go on,
The catalog oí these celestial gifts -
Prolonged ad infinitum     -
Would not convert a single soul ,
Spiritual life is an experiential one -
We learn by doing.
Argument can never win a soul to God,
Or lead one into ways oí Spirit.

Ali we can say is:
"Come, you who are athir st,
And drink from thí s perennial      spring! 11
Destiny pe r suade s , but never forces.
And many rrien, pe rhaps , will choose to stay
Within the limitations    oí the bí o sphe r e,
That there is another Sphere more potent to evolve   ín,
Each human must discover for hírn s elfj;»
That inner mystery oí life
Which scientific thought can never penetrate.

Matter   and Mind

Creation  is idea turned into form;
Thought is the start oí deed;
All matter once was Mind; and still on Mind
Eternally must feed.

Compassion

Signa! of sor r ow,
Bearer of distress,
Why do you wake me in the d ead of night?

Is it that I may share in someone's       sufferings,
May add a prayer
For victims of misfortune?

How sad the heart beats
As horror travels through the streets!
Yes, we mourn for even "one of the se ",

But "over there 11 no sir en sounds   -
Only the blast of bomb s,
Dangers that mangle life.

What an idiotic world!
What insanity!
Here we mourn for even one who suffers.

But over the r e , how we rejoice
That thousands die in agony,
Hostile souls whose tortures     bring us only joy.

Has the world gone mad?
Or has the world
Always been frozen in this crazy      dream?

It is time that we woke up.
Time we abolished wholesale needless death,
Swept it from our planet into the hell where it belongs.

It is time war ceased -
Time that Love increased
Till all the world is held in Its ernb r a ce ,

If You Split the Atom]

If you split the atom, you will find Him;
If you ride the heavens, He is the r e ,
Nothing is, without His forming fiat;
Nothing lives without Hi s tender careo

The Tao

The soft overcometh   the brittle
To yield wins more than to fíght,
Relinquishment  solves every battle,
And meekness is greater than .mrght,

Sensitivity

Do not regret being born sensitive,
For sensitivity  is an advanced quality
of the human race,
A chief factor of c r eatí ve genius.
To such souls - open and receptive      -
Life open portals to celestial beauty.

The Goal of Existence

Shall we go journeying on, life after life,
Until we reach the Center of all being?
This is not reached by movement or by time,
But only by a different Power of Seeing.

The La w of Planetary    Love

When will humanity progress
From brilliant  function of the intellect
To a still more dazzling Age of Spirit?

Should the burgeoning of Spirit win control,
Life will be paradisal.
From this perfectioning    of man
Will flow world peace and b r othe r hood,
Fair distribution  of the needs of life,
General culture and prosperity.

Man has done well to rule the earth    and sky º
Now let him wisely rule himself
Under the law of planetary Iove ,

Endles s Horizons

Our greatest  deeds are but a cheering hint
Of powers that lie buried deep within.
The planetary  Spirit aids all those
Who daily strive to use their inborn gifts.
As we advance, horizons move ahead
And beckon us to splendid distant goals.

O My Soul

Dance to the co srrríc rythm, O my s oul ,
For in each separate part inheres the Whole.
Space is no larger than the place you hold ,
And Time a fairy- story being told.

Why Wear Yourself     Out?

Save at the court of regal grace
hnperiousness   is out of place.
The daily life does not support
Dem and s that are too fierce and short.

Intensity will flag, at length,
Consuming its own store of strength     -
Effortle s s action, like the sun ,
Wins tasks before they are begun.

What the World Needs

The world needs peaceful souls
In order to build peace.
It needs united hearts
In order to establish unity.
It needs, in all of us , the realization of Reality,
And the ability to function on the Causal pl.ane ,

Why Does      Man    Create?

Man creates      because      he has to.      Not for farn e , And
not under mere           compensatory         compulsion,     as
the psychologists          absurdly      claim.
Yes, creators      create      because     they ha ve to - justas
a mother        creates    because     she has to once con-
ception has taken place.
And so, with a crea ti ve pe r s on, once conception               has
taken place delivery            is almost      inevitable; it
can not be evaded or postponed.                    The urge for
fruition    overcomes         all obstacles.
The genius creates because              creation     is the law of his
Ii fe ,       .             '

The Child

The development       of the child should begin befare birth -
it should begin at conception.
The child should be wanted, and should be th e creation
oí a great mutual spiritualized lave.
The child should be an answer to the spiritual          d em and,
"Ha ve children and raise them to the glory of
God , 11
Prospective     parents should aspire and pray to give birth
to the most perfect child pos si ble - a child en-
dowed with spiritual      susceptibilities.
Parental prayers       should nourish the soul of the embryo
justas    the mother1s blood nourishes      its body.
In this way marvelous       children will be brought into
existence,     and a New Rae e will be Io r m e d ,

Education

Education     is pa r t oí the expression oí the instinct oí
th e race to perpetuate     itself.
Nature    as sures   th e biological continuance  oí the r a ce , .
But man must consciously         operate to assure the per-
petuation oí the knowledges,     skills and mores
necessary    for its successíul  existence.
This inheritance is perpetuated only by that training
which we call education.
Edu cat.i on , in its fullest degree, is the hope oí the world.

Life

We cannot help recei ving life - we ha ve no choice.
But we do have a choice as to what we shall make
of our li ve s.
It was successfully to fulfill th i s choice that we were
placed upon this planet.
The mea.ning of life - of all life - is development.
This is within our power.
It is th e only thing within our finite power.
Development is not a ta sk , It is a pri vilege.
De ve lopm errt, with Divine aí d, is nota burden. It
is a joyous expression of the Self.

Be a Cause of Well-Being

"Be a cause of well-being to the human wor Idj !' sa ys
Abdu'l-Bah.!.
But to do this we must first cover the laws of well-being
and apply them in our own Ii ve s ,

Religion

Man is not made    for religion, so much as religion        is
made for   man - for his development,         his
guidance   a nd his joy,
Let us look upon   r e.lí.g í.on, then, as a gladsome
pri ví Ieg e, a sanctified bí r thr ght,
í

Let us become attracted      to the Spirit, as we are
attracted    to beauty and to love - with an
attraction    so strong as to need little or no
volition on our pa r t,

The Practice     of the Presence     of God

All the Prophets have corn e not only to teach man the
knowledge of God; but to lead him into the
practice    of the presence of God ,
This is the panacea for all the troubles and ills of the
individual, but also for all th e troubles and i Il s
of society  o

But alas!    How few accept and use this divine r erne dyl
From the love of God and His abiding presence all
oth e r values fl.ow ,
Security in the midst of trials and tests; wise judgment;
intuition and guidance; happines s; health; and
even material     success    - do you want these
things?
Then seek cea.
For the perfect functioning oí society: jus tí c e , balance,
ha r mony, altruism,       pe ac e , stability, material
prosperity     and happirie s s ,
Do we want this kind of a society?           Then let us seek first
the Kingdom of God, and all the se things shall be
add ed,

The Stages    oí the Spirit

SEVERANCE       is not a s ce.ti ci sm , but a sort oí spiritual
alooíness     and unworldliness.
RADIANT ACQUIESCENCE                is the consent  willingly and
joyously    to live under the guidance       of the Spirit.
EVANESCENCE         is the complete       emptiness  of self; an
emptiness      waiting to be filled from the Ocean of
Divine Love and Bounty.
SANCTITY    is the complete        union of man with the Spirit.

The   Cosmic    Joy

Let us realize     the Cosmos    as a vital spiritual r eal.íty,
and that matter is only Spirit in dí aguí se ,
And let us realize ourselves        as an intimate and
immortal part of this concrete manifestation
of Spirit - our universal        environrnent and
home - the Cosmos.
Let us realize thi s not by any intellectual process
but by immediacy;       by a super-rational    con-
s ci ou s , to ou.r inmost being, oí our vital and
destined integration      in this rich Cosmic Lífe ,
Let us feel that joie de vi vr e , that joy of existence
which all nature expr e s s e s ,

The Ki.ng of Kings

The Ideal King is to Himself sufficient.
His joy does not increase
From a.doration oí His worshippers,
Nor through their void decrease.

Stop,   Forget    -   Ye a,    Cease   to Think

Why do birds     sing?   Why do squirrels   gleefully leap
about?     Why do insects  make their choral
rnusic?
It is because all Natu r e radiates   the joy of existence.
It is our intellect - with its anxieties and frustrations  -
that veils us from this Cosmic Li fe ,
We must again become as little children     - recapture
the pristine art of feeling, in complete response
to our environment.
Quiet! Let the sunshine sink
O'er thy forehead, o1er thy rn ind ,
Stop, forget - yea , cease to think.
Know wisdom is of higher kirid,

Happine s s

Happiness is an acquired a r t ,
It is a letting-go of life, an art relaxation.
It is radiant acquiescence.
Happm e s s is contagious   - if we are happy ,
We can pass that happiness on to oth e r s ,
Therefor let our greetings    be: Are you happy?
Be happy!

Cosmic       Love

How can we !ove everyone   - even those who are
disagreeable?
With human Io ve this is impossible.
For human love is a mutual exchange of values; arid
when these values cea s e , love tends to cease.

Not so with the love divine.       What is this love divine?
It is something Cosmic.
It is a partial expression     of that vast creative love
of God which constantly sustains and vitalizes
all existence.
When we become ablaze with this love we radiate it
out to everyone    - without effort and regardless
of the worthiness    or attractivenes-s of the obje ct
of our Iove ,
This cosmic Iove , once e atabl.í shed, requires no effort
or volition.
Let us constantly charge our soul s from the coarní c
battery of Divine Love ,
Then we can give love out spontaneously          to everyone
and everything.
Let us include in thí s universal     love the anírnafa, the
trees, the pl.ant s , the cl.oud s , and the infinite
ocean of the aky,
He who is full of this Love is also full oí joy.
He who doe s not know thi s Love doe s not know j oy º
For God is Love, And if we do not know Love, we do
not know God.
And if we do not know God, we know not joy.

Service

Service  is the law of the Uníve r s e ,
Service  done with love unites us to the Heart of 'the
Cosmos.
Service done with love brings u s into oneness not only
with the Divine, but also with all other humana,
Service is the creative and unifying power of exí atence,
the motive of ali woxk, the means of coamí c
happiness.

We can carry on he re, if we so choo se , without obeyance
' to this law of s er ví ce,
But if we land in -the Other World without such training
our passports    are invalid.
For all celestial activity takes on the form of joyous
se r ví ce,

The Eternal    Now

How can we mortals       escape the tyranny of time?
'I'írne , as Lord Krishna showed, is a colossal power
that devours eve rythíng,
Time lashes us on, without rebate, to labor by the
cl.ock,
How can we escape subjection to this Cosmic Tyrant?
The same Power that rules as Time is also 'I'írnefe s s,
And the Power that subjects us to the limited world of
place is Placeless.
Let us by prayer and rnedíratton, rise above the limiting
world of time and pl.ace, till we attain the Ever-
lasting Now and the Supreme World of the
Placefe ss ,

The Phenomenal World

The phenomenal world is under the law of chang e ,
It is benign for the universal, but unpredictable
for the individual o
Spiritually    undeveloped man lives under the law
of contingency.
He is the creature     of circumstance and he knows it
to his dismay - flotsam and jetsam on the
stream of life.

But this is not so with the spiritually developed man
who knows how to function on the Plane of
Cauaatí on,
Such a one navigates life with steady tí Ile r , sure
goal s, and full power to reach those goal s ,

The Science   of Power

Spirit   is cauaal ,
Spirit   should have precedence    over the world of
matter.
Spí r lt is the vital essence of exí st ence ,
Spirit is the power that operates the Cosmos.
Therefor it is more important      to study Spirit as
Power than to study the mere parts of the
Machine.
He who k.nows Spirit as Power knows be at how to
control and operate his earthly exi.stence.

The Mind

What is the mind?
It is a magic instrument,    endowed with a discovering
and manipulating   power.
But the mind is not the Self.
It is only an instrument   of the Self,
The mind may be wea r y, the mind may become exhausted,
But the Self is not thereby exhausted.
When we realize the mind as an agent of the Self we can
better control its actions.
And when we dedícate our mind as well as our hearts
to God, it will show forth wondrous powe r s ,

!

Postulates of the Spirit

¡vptter is spirit in Disgiues

MJ.tter is subject to spirit in all things

Spirit can rroni¡:ulate rratter

Spirit operates under the law of lave)

service and self socrifice.
-- Poems to Live By (Used by permission of the curator)