Bees in Amber: A Little Book of Thoughtful VerseOxenham, John
Religion
Bees in Amber: A Little Book of Thoughtful Verse
Oxenham, John
Poetry
I faced a future all unknown,
No opening could I see,
I heard without the night wind moan,
The ways were dark to me,--
"I cannot face it all alone
O be Thou near to me!"
I had done sums, and sums, and sums,
Inside my aching head.
I'd tried in vain to pierce the glooms
That lay so thick ahead.
But two and two will not make five,
Nor will do when I'm dead.
And then I thought of Him who fed
Five thousand hungry men,
With five small casual loaves of bread,--
Would he were here again!--
Dear God! hast Thou still miracles
For the troubled sons of men?
He has, He will, He worketh still,
In ways most wonderful.
He drew me from the miry clay,
He filled my cup quite full.
And while my heart can speak I'll tell
His love unspeakable.
"Rest in the Lord!"--I saw it there,
On the tablets of the night.
And, comforted, I dropped my care
Where burdens have no weight.
Then, trustfully, I turned and slept,
And woke, and it was light.
God works to-day as He did of old
For the lightening of men's woes.
His wonders never can be told,
His goodness no man knows,--
His Love, His Power, His Tenderness,--
Nor shall do till life's close.
His kindness is so very great,
His greatness is so good.
He looks upon my low estate,
He gives me daily food.
And nothing is too small for Him,--
Yes, truly! God is good.
SOME--AND SOME
Some have much, and some have more,
Some are rich, and some are poor,
Some have little, some have less,
Some have not a cent to bless
Their empty pockets, yet possess
True riches in true happiness.
THE PRINCE OF LIFE
O, Prince of Life, Thy Life hath tuned
All life to sweeter, loftier grace!
Life's common rounds have wider bounds
Since Thou hast trod life's common ways.
O, Heart of Love! Thy Tenderness
Still runs through life's remotest vein;
And lust and greed and soulless creed
Shall never rule the world again.
O Life of Love!--The Good Intent
Of God to man made evident,--
All down the years, despite men's fears,
Thy Power is still omnipotent.
O Life! O Love! O Living Word!--
Rent Vail, revealing God to man,--
Help, Lord! Lest I should crucify,
By thought or deed, Thy Love again.
JUDGMENT DAY
Every day is Judgment Day,
Count on no to-morrow.
He who will not, when he may,
Act to-day, to-day, to-day,
Doth but borrow
Sorrow.
DARKNESS AND LIGHT
There is darkness still, gross darkness, Lord,
On this fair earth of Thine.
There are prisoners still in the prison-house,
Where never a light doth shine.
There are doors still bolted against Thee,
There are faces set like a wall;
And over them all the Shadow of Death
Hangs like a pall.
_Do you hear the voices calling,
Out there in the black of the night?
Do you hear the sobs of the women,
Who are barred from the blessed light?
And the children,--the little children,--
Do you hear their pitiful cry?
O brothers, we must seek them,
Or there in the dark they die_!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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