Naming the Stars

ADVERTISEMENT: Each week we carefully curate a collection of  poems that resonate with the lectionary readings for that week (Narrative Lectionary and Revised Common Lectionary).         CLASSIC POEM: Whatever ’tis, whose beauty here below Attracts thee thus and makes thee stream and flow, And wind and curl, and wink and smile, Shifting thy gate and guile; Though thy close commerce nought at all imbars My present search, for eagles eye not stars, And still the lesser by the best And highest good is blest; Yet, seeing all things that subsist and be, Have their commissions from divinity, And teach us duty, I will see What man may learn from thee. First, I am sure, the subject so respected Is well dispos’d, for bodies once infected, Deprav’d, or dead, can have with thee No hold, nor sympathy. Next, there’s in it a restless, pure desire And longing for thy bright and vital fire, Desire that never will be quench’d, Nor can be writh’d, nor wrench’d. These are the magnets which so strongly move And work all night upon thy light and love, As beauteous shapes, we know not why, Command and guide the eye. For where desire, celestial, pure desire Hath taken root, and grows, and doth not tire, There God a commerce states, and sheds His secret on their heads. This is the heart he craves, and who so will But give it him, and grudge not, he shall feel That God is true, as herbs unseen Put on their youth and green. *** This poem is in the public domain,    and may be read in a live-streamed worship service.     CONTEMPORARY POEM: SNIPPET: This present tragedy will eventually turn into myth, and in the mist of that later telling the bell tolling now will be a symbol, or, at least, a sign of something long since lost. …         Comments are closed.