Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, MORSUS ET SALVATIO, by JAMES MONROE DOWNUM



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

MORSUS ET SALVATIO, by                    
First Line: No darkest night was e'er so drear and weird
Last Line: Filling the soul with noblest life sublime!
Subject(s): Faith; Belief; Creed


No darkest night was e'er so drear and weird,
No stormy wintry day was e'er so dread,
As blackest guilt of sin within the heart,
That quivers 'neath a conscience full awake.
'Tis like the gnawing of the serpent's fangs
In deepest soul, with demon's taunting laugh,
And all the foes of hell in hideous roll,
Mocking the suffering soul yearning for light,
Repentant, deeply craving quiet peace!
But still the darkness grows as though all hope
Had fled the blackest ways spread out before
Leading to still more dreary, doleful scenes --
But looking up, behold, a star -- a light!
A voice of sweet consoling tones, so soft
And low, removing every dreary thought
And scene, and leaving only joy and peace,
A joy and peace so pure that all of life
Is new, a love so true for all the world,
A faith now leads along the higher way
Filling the soul with noblest life sublime!





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