Once in Royal David's City

Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all;
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall.
With the poor, the scorned, the lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child who seemed so helpless
Is our Lord in heaven above;
And he leads His children
Onto the place where He is gone.

---Cecil Frances Alexander,1848

KEE L'Oh-LAHM CHas-DOE

...For His lovingkindness lasts to eternity. (Psalm 136:10). 

As I went for a walk 

On legs that are able, 

I praise You, 

For I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

I revel in leaves 

And a family picnic table. 

Your works are wonderful, 

How rightly I realize this! (Ps. 139:14) 

...His lovingkindness lasts to eternity.

High above arches the pale blue dome 

On which billowy white clouds have been hung; 

He causes the clouds to rise 

From the ends of the earth... 

I breath in autumn 

With clear, healthy lungs. 

And brings out the wind 

From within His storehouses. (Ps. 135:7) 

...His lovingkindness lasts to eternity. 

Fuzzy brown squirrels 

Are storing up food... 

The eyes of all look unto You, 

For You give them their food in the right season. 

And I munch an apple~ 

Sensing all that is good. 

You open up Your Hand 

And satisfy the wants of all living things. (Ps. 145:15-16) 

...His lovingkindness lasts to eternity. 

My health is restored 

As only He could; 

Who forgives all my sins 

And heals my diseases; 

My strength is as birds' wings 

Going south as they should. 

He satisfies my desires with good things 

So that my strength is renewed like the eagle's. (Ps. 103: 3, 5) 

...His lovingkindness lasts to eternity. 

Tiny purple asters and once-lush green grass 

Now ready for fall are dying away. 

Man ~ his days are as grass, 

He flourishes as a flower of the field; 

Autumn reminds me that I, too, shall die 

To live again in a glorious new day. 

The wind blows over it and it is not, 

And its own place remembers it no more. (Ps. 103:15-16) 

...His lovingkindness lasts to eternity. 

The cold nips my nose 

As I kick about leaves... 

He spreads His snow as soft wool 

And scatters the frost as if ashes; 

Thinking about winter 

With drifts to my knees. 

He hurls down His ice like pebbles~ 

Who can stand before His cold? (Ps. 147:16-17) 

...His lovingkindness lasts to eternity. 

I trust in my Father 

Who looks out for me; 

Create in me a clean heart, O, God 

And renew an upright spirit within me. 

He takes away my sins, 

And I'll praise Him eternally. 

O, my Lord, open up my lips 

So that my mouth might declare Your praise. (Ps. 51:10,15) 

Deep inside, I let out a sigh, 

For You, O, Jesus, are always close by. 

Because I know You, 

I sense You all around me 

And on a day like today, 

I'm just "happy to be." 

Praise Yahweh! Give thanks unto Yahweh, For He is good; For His lovingkindness Lasts to eternity. (Ps. 136:1) ---(c) C. Marie Byars, 1984; Winfield, KS

Farewell

[for the upcoming observances of "All Hallows' Eve" & All Saints' Day]

Tie the strings to my life, my Lord,
Then I am ready to go!
Just a look at the horses---
Rapid! That will do!

Put me in on the firmest side,
So I shall never fall;
For we must ride to the Judgment,
And it's partly down hill.

But never I mind the bridges,
And never I mind the sea;
Held fast in everlasting race*
By my own choice and thee.

Good-bye to the life I used to live,
and the world I used to know;
And kiss the hills for me, just once;
Now I am ready to go!
----Emily Dickinson

*It's really God who chooses us. (John 15:16)

Vivaldi's Autumn

[This is the "Autumn" sonnet that Antonio Vivaldi wrote to accompany the "Autumn" Concerto of his "Four Seasons" Cycle. The other three seasons are in earlier posts.]


ALLEGRO
The countryman celebrates with dance and song
The sweet pleasure of a good harvest,
[The "drunkard"; LENTO]
And many, fired by the liquor of Bacchus,
[Allegro assai; adagio molto]
End their enjoyment by falling asleep.


Everyone is made to abandon singing and dancing
By the temperate air, which gives pleasure,
And by the season, which invites so many
To enjoy the sweetness of sleep.

ALLEGRO
The huntsmen come out at the crack of dawn
[The fleeing prey; LEGATO]
With their horns, guns and hounds;
The quarry flees and they track it:

Already terrified and tired out by the great noise
Of the guns and hounds, the wounded beast
Makes a feeble effort to flee but dies in agony.
----Antonio Vivaldi

The Call of the Desert

 

Ah. . . 

I can laugh,  

And my echo laughs back with me.  

I can run,  

And only the wind runs with me. 

I can leap,  

And I can land gracefully. 

I see beauty: 

A beauty I always see. 

I am alone,  

For I came to be free.  

The earth speaks, 

And I hear, for it's a part of me.  

Who am I  

That God should open my eyes to see 

The deep beauty  

Of what imperfect earth can be?  

The thorns poke,  

But even they cannot stop me; 

For I laugh,  

And You, O, LORD, laugh back with me. 

 ---C. Marie Byars, 1985; New Mexico

Praise to God, Immortal Praise

Praise to God, immortal praise,
For the love that crowns our days;
Bounteous Source of every joy,
Let Thy praise our tongues employ.

Flocks that whiten all the plain;
Yellow sheaves of ripened grain;
Clouds that drop their fattening dews,
Sun that temperate warmth diffuses.
All that Spring with bounteous hand
Scatters o’er the smiling land;
All that liberal Autumn pours
From her rich o’erflowing stores.
These to Thee, my God, we owe,
Source whence all our blessings flow;
And for these my soul shall raise
Grateful vows and solemn praise.

Yet, should rising whirlwinds tear
From its stem the ripening ear;
Should the fig tree’s blasted shoot*
Drop her green untimely fruit,
Should the vine put forth no more,
Nor the olive yield her store;
Though the sickening flocks should fall,
And the herds desert the stall,
Yet to Thee my soul shall raise
Grateful vows and solemn praise;
And, when every blessing’s flown
Love Thee for Thyself alone.**
---An­na L. Bar­bauld, 1772 (adapted c.m.b. 2008)

*Habakkuk 3:17-19 (a near paraphrase). After chapters of asking "How, God?" and "Why, God?"---and getting answers from God!!---Habakkuk makes this statement of faith. [Habakkuk ties another as my favorite book of the Bible]
**Christian thinkers, C.S. Lewis included, have said that as we mature in our faith, we love God for who He is and not just for the great benefits of heaven which we get from Him

The Moon

The Moon was but a chin of gold*
A night or two ago,
And now she turns her perfect face
Upon the world below.

Her forehead is of amplest blond*;
Her cheek like beryl* stone;
Her eye unto the summer dew
The likest I have known.

Her lips of amber* never part;
But what must be the smile
Upon her friend she could bestow
Were such her silver will.

And what a privilege to be
But the remotest star!
For certainly her way might pass
Beside your twinkling door.

Her bonnet is the firmament,
The universe her shoe,
The stars the trinkets at her belt,
Her dimities** of blue.
---Emily Dickinson

*Imagery for the moon is usually "silvery." This uses more of the "yellow", and sometimes the Moon (esp. when full) does have a yellowish cast
**Dimity: A sheer, crisp (double-threaded; "di") cotton fabric. It is woven with raised stripes or checks and was used mostly for dresses or curtains.