Poems (Carter)/All saints day
ALL SAINTS DAY.
The quiet Church breathes incense of the saints,
And holy peace of God, as one by one,
The worshipers in silence bend the knee
And seem in very presence of their God
And of the dear ones now at home with Him.
He holds the hand of each, both living, both
With Him, sharing His love, His victory,
His grace; but His forgiveness they need not.
O wondrous life! when sin is past for aye!
When we no longer grieve Him, nor endure
Sin's dreadful consequence and wretched blight.
Lo! as we kneel, what voices fill our hearts?
Voices of loved ones gone before to Him:
And His dear Voice thrilling our inmost soul!
What are the precious words each gently breathes?
The husband trusted, leaned upon, who filled
Exclusively each fibre of the heart.
That son we gloried over! that sweet girl
Who shared our every thought and sympathy.
That friend with whom our every plan was made:
That leader who supplied our every need
Of counsel, warning, or initiative,—
Of everything we lacked in life's stern fight,
Of comfort, confidence and sympathy.
That father who was our ideal guide;
That mother representing heaven to us;
That wife with whom the light of life went out.
These voices are in wonderful accord;
One message breathes thro' all, for love is one;
One harp of many strings, Heaven's mystery
And Earth's.—With bated breath our spirits hear;
"My own! if you will learn to know His love
As we now know it—if you will but learn
How short and precious are the days or years
Before you join us; and how much they mean
To His all-yearning heart Who works with you:
If you would realize the awful plight
Of those who trust Him not, to save from sin;
Their heart of pride to change to heart of child;
Their love of earth to change to love of heaven:
If you could only know what Jesus means
To spirits born of God; how He can satisfy
The longings and desires insatiable
While veil of flesh and time still intervene:
Beloved! if you only knew His love,
And what He means to us, and will to you
If you will all resign to Him, and give
To Him the heart that still you give to us;
You shall have foretaste of the wondrous joy
That waits for you, when, loving Him Who died
And lived again, and led us both to Him,
And breathing in a love unknown to Earth,
We love and serve eternally with God."
Breathless, enthralled, and ful of heavenly peace,
The spirit of each silent worshiper
Is conscious of a Voice of heavenly power,
Saying: "Loved of My Father, I will love
And manifest Myself to thee, and thou
Shalt know the Lord, until the day arrive
When thou shalt join again thy sainted ones,
Who love thee better now than e'er they loved,
And only long to share their joy with thee!"
And holy peace of God, as one by one,
The worshipers in silence bend the knee
And seem in very presence of their God
And of the dear ones now at home with Him.
He holds the hand of each, both living, both
With Him, sharing His love, His victory,
His grace; but His forgiveness they need not.
O wondrous life! when sin is past for aye!
When we no longer grieve Him, nor endure
Sin's dreadful consequence and wretched blight.
Lo! as we kneel, what voices fill our hearts?
Voices of loved ones gone before to Him:
And His dear Voice thrilling our inmost soul!
What are the precious words each gently breathes?
The husband trusted, leaned upon, who filled
Exclusively each fibre of the heart.
That son we gloried over! that sweet girl
Who shared our every thought and sympathy.
That friend with whom our every plan was made:
That leader who supplied our every need
Of counsel, warning, or initiative,—
Of everything we lacked in life's stern fight,
Of comfort, confidence and sympathy.
That father who was our ideal guide;
That mother representing heaven to us;
That wife with whom the light of life went out.
These voices are in wonderful accord;
One message breathes thro' all, for love is one;
One harp of many strings, Heaven's mystery
And Earth's.—With bated breath our spirits hear;
"My own! if you will learn to know His love
As we now know it—if you will but learn
How short and precious are the days or years
Before you join us; and how much they mean
To His all-yearning heart Who works with you:
If you would realize the awful plight
Of those who trust Him not, to save from sin;
Their heart of pride to change to heart of child;
Their love of earth to change to love of heaven:
If you could only know what Jesus means
To spirits born of God; how He can satisfy
The longings and desires insatiable
While veil of flesh and time still intervene:
Beloved! if you only knew His love,
And what He means to us, and will to you
If you will all resign to Him, and give
To Him the heart that still you give to us;
You shall have foretaste of the wondrous joy
That waits for you, when, loving Him Who died
And lived again, and led us both to Him,
And breathing in a love unknown to Earth,
We love and serve eternally with God."
Breathless, enthralled, and ful of heavenly peace,
The spirit of each silent worshiper
Is conscious of a Voice of heavenly power,
Saying: "Loved of My Father, I will love
And manifest Myself to thee, and thou
Shalt know the Lord, until the day arrive
When thou shalt join again thy sainted ones,
Who love thee better now than e'er they loved,
And only long to share their joy with thee!"
End.