Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SAINT FRANCIS TO THE BIRDS, by THOMAS WALSH



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SAINT FRANCIS TO THE BIRDS, by                    
First Line: Birds, - birds of the air
Last Line: Forgetful of the little worm and mole!
Alternate Author Name(s): Gill, Roderick; Strange, Garrett
Subject(s): Animals; Birds; Francis Assisi, Saint (1181-1226); God; Religion; Saints; Theology


BIRDS,—birds of the air,—
Glad wings of the mountain and valley
Flashing around me with scatter of petals and rally
Through ilex and olive in carnival choir!—
Draw near, little sisters, and hearken
My voice of desire!
See where the valleys would darken;
Draw nearer, and list my prayer
To the Love that hath given
Your pinions the realms nearest heaven,
Bladed your wing
To parry with rain and with hail,
Decked you for tempests in feathery mail
And taught you to sing!
Though but the worm of His wounds I implore
You and cross you and bless you, with hand and with mouth—
Signing North unto South,
Signing West unto East,—
Let His praise be increased!
To the North then, ye wings of the snow,—
Albatross, gull, and all nurselings of waters at war!
To the South, ye with emerald plumage aglow
For the grace of His Orient temples and bear
His comforting Love to the moon-stricken rose!
To the East, O ye larks, from your fountains
To gather His alms at morn's lattices pale!
Owls to your tombs and your belfries!—O Nightingale,
Away to your sobbing of an empire's woes!
But, eagle wings, ye to the West unroll!—
Vanguards celestial, chanting o'er the mountains!
Fowls of the deeps, be ye contemplative there
At sundown on His mirrors vast with prayer,
Praising His Love that keeps us to His soul!
Warn ye the shepherds, swallows, at moonrise then—
Swinging like living censers out from eave and rafter,—
And circling doves—Nay, Brother Leo, hold not back "Amen,"—
Lest all my heart go winging madly after,
Forgetful of the little worm and mole!





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