O GOD when the heart is warmest,
And the head is clearest,
Give me to act:
To turn the purposes thou formest
Into fact.
O God, when what is dearest
Seems most dear,
And the path before lies straight,
With neither Chance nor Fate
In my career,-
Then let me act. The wicket gate
In sight, let me not wait, not wait.
We do not always fight.
There comes a dull
And anxious watching. After night
Follows dim dawn before the day is full.
But there’s a time to speak, as to be dumb.
O God, when mine shall come,
And I put forth
My strength for blame or praise,
Blow Thou the fire in my heart’s hearth
Into a blaze-
(Who kindled it but Thou?)
And let me feel upon that first of days
As I feel now.
(John Jay Chapman)
More Poetry from John Jay Chapman:
John Jay Chapman Poems based on Topics: Night, God, Lies & Deceit, Time, Fire, Sense & Perception, Speaking, Work & Career, Purposes, Praise, Facts- Ode On The Sailing Of Our Troops For France (John Jay Chapman Poems)
- The Poet Orders His Sepulchre (John Jay Chapman Poems)
- October (John Jay Chapman Poems)
- Moonlight (John Jay Chapman Poems)
- Harvest Time (John Jay Chapman Poems)
- Taps At West Point (John Jay Chapman Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: God Poems, Night Poems, Time Poems, Sense & Perception Poems, Fire Poems, Work & Career Poems, Praise Poems, Speaking Poems, Lies & Deceit Poems, Facts Poems, Purposes PoemsBased on Keywords: formest