Mystery of life opens in this pearl
Furling beauty and purity in curls.
Priz’d by sages, good drink for thee
Where mind does bathe—a drop wide as sea!
* * * * *
There is only one Being that exists
Unmoved, yet moving swifter that the mind;
“Who far outstrips the senses, though as gods,
They strive to reach him. Who himself at rest,
Transcends the fleetest flights of beings;
Who, like the air, supports all vital action.
He moves, yet moves not; he is far, yet near;
He is within this Universe, and yet
Outside this Universe.
The man who understands that every creature
Exists in Him alone, and thus perceives
The unity of being, has no grief
And no illusion. He, the all-pervading,
Is brilliant, without body, sinewless,
Invulnerable, pure and undefiled
By taint of sin. He is all wisdom,
The ruler of the mind, above all beings,
The self-existent.
(Isavasyopanishad)
And what if all of animated nature,
Be but organic harps, divinely framed,
And trembling into thought, as o’er them sweeps,
Plastic and rash, one universal breeze;
At once the soul of each and God of all?
Bluest of skies, greenest of oceans,
whitest of waves Fortissimo.
Bluest of eyes, pinkest of skins,
yellowish hair Pianissimo.
Darkest of eyes, swarthiest skin,
blackest of hair Cressendo-
“Come, walk and listen to the waves with me,
Their music is most enchanting,
My mermaid you shall he.”
We will build a house together
In the sand beside the sea.
* * * * *
Whatever thou lovest, man,
Thou too become that must;
God, if thou lovest God,
Dust, if thou lovest dust.
* * * * *
No, fret not over what is past and gone;
And spite of all thou mayst have left behind
Still live as though thy life were just begun.
What each day wills enough for thee to know;
What each day wills the day itself will toll.
Do thine own task and be therewith content.
* * * * *
As I walked with myself,
and I talked to myself,
My self said to me
Be true to thyself—
Thy self—thy good angel shall be.
* * * * *
Says Lowell:—
“Men! whose boast it is that ye
Come of fathers brave and free
If there breathe on Earth a slave
Are ye truly free and brave?
If ye do not feel the chain,
When it works a brother’s pain,
Are ye not base slaves indeed
Slaves unworthy to be freed?
* * * * *
“Women! Who shall one day bear
Sons to breathe New England air
If ye hear, without a blush
Deeds to make the roused blood rush
Like red lava through your veins,
For your sisters now in chains,—
Answer! are ye fit to be
Mothers of the brave and free?”
* * * * * * *
Your heart is never away
But ever with mine, forever,
For ever without endeavour,
Tomorrow, love, as today;
Two blent hearts never astray,
Two souls no power may sever,
Together, O my love, forever.
* * * * * * *
Have you rid yourself of “idols made with hands” Well, so far, so good.
If not, then you are worshipping disembodied idols, Ghosts of idols
* * * * * * *
“Fate” served me meanly
I looked at her and laughed
That none might know
How bitter was the cup I quaffed.
Along came joy and
Paused beside me
Where I sat;
And said to me
I came to see
What you were laughing at.
* * * * * * *
My heart is filled with roses
My soul is full of joy
My being sweet reposes
In bliss without alloy.
* * * * * * *
Oh ! Precious, precious thief.
Sleep stolen from the eyes
Heart taken from the breast
I cannot but call thee wicked
O innocent, darling thief,
I love although you slay me
Indispensable welcome thief;
Of Heart you have relieved me
Come, take the life too.
I thank thee, thank thee, thank thee,
Be infinite peace with you.
My Star, My God, My Jesu
My Light of light, true Lord Love!
* * * * * * *
I have felt love’s fatal pain Such—
I cannot tell again
Absence poisons every bliss
Such as—ask not what it is.
I have roamed the world around
And at last a treasure found,
One without a blight or blame,
One whom—ask me not to name,
Oh! her feet my tears bedew,
Fast they fall, nor sweet nor few
Oh ! my tears impetuous flow
So as—seek not how to know
Festernight from her I heard
Many a pleasing honeyed word
Words of rapture but I pray—
Ask me, ask me not to say.
Beautiful eyes are those that show
Beautiful thought* that burn below
Beautiful lips are those whose words
Leap from the heart like songs of birds.
Beautiful hands are those that do
Work that is earnest, brave and true
Moment by moment the whole day through.