OUT of the heavens come down to me, O Lord, and hear my earnest prayer; On life above the life I see Fix thou my soul, and keep it there. The richest joys of earth are poor; The fairest forms are all unfair; On what is peaceable and pure Set thou my heart, and keep it there. Pride builds her house upon the sand; Ambition treads the spider's stair; On whatsoever things will stand Set thou my feet, and keep them there. The past is vanished in the past; The future doth a shadow wear; On whatsoever things are fast Fix thou mine eyes, and keep them there. In spite of slander's tongue, in spite Of burdens grievous hard to bear, To whatsoever things are right Set thou my hand, and keep it there. Life is a little troubled breath, Love but another name for care; Lord, anchor thou my hope and faith In things eternal, -- only there. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: GODWIN JAMES by EDGAR LEE MASTERS LIKE A BULRUSH by MARIANNE MOORE THIS LIME-TREE BOWER MY PRISON by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE THE VOLUNTEER by ELBRIDGE JEFFERSON CUTLER ON MONSIEUR'S DEPARTURE by ELIZABETH I AT HOME IN HEAVEN by JAMES MONTGOMERY PRELUDE by JOHN MILLINGTON SYNGE LOVE SONG by WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS THE MORAL FABLES: THE FOX, THE WOLF, AND THE CADGER by AESOP |