LATEST born of Jesse's race, Wonder lights thy bashful face, While the Prophet's gifted oil Seals thee for a path of toil. We, thy Angels, circling round thee, Ne'er shall find thee as we found thee, When thy faith first brought us near In thy lion-fight severe. Go! and mid thy flocks awhile At thy doom of greatness smile; Bold to bear God's heaviest load, Dimly guessing of the road, -- Rocky road, and scarce ascended, Though thy foot be angel-tended. Twofold praise thou shalt attain, In royal court and battle plain; Then comes heart-ache, care, distress, Blighted hope, and loneliness; Wounds from friend and gifts from foe, Dizzied faith, and guilt, and woe; Loftiest aims by earth defiled, Gleams of wisdom sin-beguiled, Sated power's tyrannic mood, Counsels shared with men of blood, Sad success, parental tears, And a dreary gift of years. Strange, that guileless face and form To lavish on the scarring storm! Yet we take thee in thy blindness. And we buffet thee in kindness; Little chary of thy fame, -- Dust unborn may bless or blame, -- But we mould thee for the root Of man's promised healing Fruit, And we mould thee hence to rise, As our brother, to the skies. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...UNDERWOODS: BOOK 1: 21. REQUIEM by ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON SONNETS OF MANHOOD: 14. 'I LOVE THEE' by GEORGE BARLOW (1847-1913) WHITHER? by LOUISA SARAH BEVINGTON THE LEADERS by LOUISE E. V. BOYD THE GREAT ELM by ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES CITY DWELLERS by STANTON ARTHUR COBLENTZ |