Proverbs
July 6, 2023Flesh and Spirit
July 6, 2023Love’s Saint
Some lip will use her name–a rapt surprise,
Passing the heart’s set ward, upon me steals.
One word, to me, doth one saint canonize;
And all the acquest of earth and heaven it seals.
I name that name, and doubt for me has ending,
And Sorrow, strong of old, forgets her part;
The battle-cry it is, to God ascending,
For all the triumphs of my labouring heart.
Ah, what is beauty’s charge, what true, what dearest,
But that one lovely word will speak it home?
To splendour, to humility, ’tis nearest;
And the last depths of longing it can plumb.
The plaudit of all joy, all good it bears;
I breathe it, and a breath completes my prayers.
William Baylebridge
William Baylebridge (1883-1942) was an Australian poet and journalist who was associated with the Sydney Push, a group of writers and artists who challenged the conservative social norms of early 20th-century Australia. Baylebridge's poetry often dealt with themes of love and loss, and his most famous works include "The Wild Colonial Boy" and "The Dancing Bear."