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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
AN APOSTOLIC MAN, by SAMUEL VALENTINE COLE First Line: O brothers, is the moment past? Last Line: "love one another, and farewell." Subject(s): Death; Grief; Heaven; Memory; Dead, The; Sorrow; Sadness; Paradise | |||
O BROTHERS, is the moment past? We loved him, and were making bold To tell the love we had not told, And tell it to his face at last. But while we talked and planned so well, Nor marked the swiftly waning day, That cloud of splendor closed the way Lo, sunset and the evening bell! And he is gone! The trees are here, The walks, the halls; but tears bedim Our eyes, because we find not him Whom we have known this many a year. Gone, though the skies are bending fair, A gracious presence from this place: We nevermore shall see that face About the whole world anywhere. They did not know,his fellowmen, Not always know, at home, abroad, How very close he walked with God: They know him better now than then. He built his life upon the plan God gave him, open to our eyes This grandly-simple, heavenly-wise, Truth-loving, apostolic man. Oh, where is found the better part Of truth and wisdom evermore? Bear off your theologic lore; Give me his great and kindly heart! We bow the head; our hearts still swim With sorrow, since we came so late, Nor saw him standing at the Gate With the great cloud enfolding him. We meant to praise; but he has won A better praise than ours: instead Of those poor words we would have said, He has the Master's word, "Well done!" O Friend, if, on that Further Side, Thou hast not yet receded quite So far from us, in that great light Where God and godlike men abide, But that our feeble cry might swell To reach thee where thou art to-day, Thou, looking back, wouldst smile and say, "Love one another, and farewell." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE END OF LIFE by PHILIP JAMES BAILEY SEVEN TWILIGHTS: 6 by CONRAD AIKEN THE BOOK OF THE DEAD MAN (#19): 2. MORE ABOUT THE DEAD MAN AND WINTER by MARVIN BELL THE WORLDS IN THIS WORLD by LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR A SKELETON FOR MR. PAUL IN PARADISE; AFTER ALLAN GUISINGER by NORMAN DUBIE BEAUTY & RESTRAINT by DANIEL HALPERN HOW IT WILL HAPPEN, WHEN by DORIANNE LAUX IF THIS IS PARADISE by DORIANNE LAUX A LADY'S PORTRAIT by SAMUEL VALENTINE COLE |
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