Oh, to serve God for a day! From jubilant morn to the peace and the calm of the night To tread no path but His happy and blossoming way, To seek no delight But the joy that is one with the joy at heaven's heart; Only to go where Thou art, O God of all blessing and beauty! to love, to obey, With obedience sweetened by love, and love made strong by the right; Not once, not once to be drunken with self, Or to play the hypocrite's poisoned part, Or to bend the knee of my soul to the passion for pelf, Or the glittering gods of the mart; Through each glad hour to lay on the wings of its flight Some flower for the angels' sight, Some fragrant fashion of service, scarlet and white, White for the pure intent, and red where the pulses start: Oh, if I thus could serve Him, could perfectly serve Him one day, I think I could perfectly serve Him forever -- forever and aye. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE STARLING; SONNET by AMY LOWELL SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: ELIZABETH CHILDERS by EDGAR LEE MASTERS TO JOHN KEATS, POET, AT SPRING TIME by COUNTEE CULLEN PAST AND PRESENT by THOMAS HOOD THE SOLSEQUIUM by ALEXANDER MONTGOMERIE THE ROSE'S MESSAGE by MARY WINCHESTER ABBOTT |