WHAT shall we ask? A Father hears,
Who weighs our blessings, counts our tears,
And when for bread we pray,
We leave it to His Sovereign will
With wine or gall the cup to fill,
That steeps it day by day.
Ask we for Faith, and Love and Grace,
To hold our post, or run our race,
In Duty’s lowly way.
Like thrills along the electric wire,
These strike the note of our desire,
We have them when we pray.
For pardon? Yes, God knows our need.
Did He not let a Victim bleed
To take our sins away?
The Judge and Advocate the same,
We whisper but the Holy Name,
And trust Him when we pray.
But what of those who never heard,
Or, hearing, still reject the word,
And turn from Light away?
The weak, the wild, the inly blind,
The reasoning brain, the doubting mind,
That have not learned to pray?
What of the man by conscience taught
To dance before a Juggernaut.
And kneel to gods of clay;
Or harsh fanatic, trained from youth
To stifle Pity, Love and Truth,
A dogma to obey?
What of the thousands born to sin,
Whom parent never strove to win,
Or guide in Virtue’s way?
The drunkard, dead to sense of shame,
The thief? We might have been the same:
For them, O, let us pray!
Pray that our Father and our Friend
In His own wise, mysterious end,
May yet provide a way.
The blot of suffering to remove,
And from His universe of Love
To take the curse away.
That mercy may extend to all,
And Hell with its terrific thrall
Be lost in Endless Day;
And, if it be decreed on High
That sinful spirits may not die,
They may be taught to pray!
(Emily Mary Barton)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, Man Poems, God Poems, Mind Poems, Name Poems, Belief & Faith Poems, Wisdom & Knowledge Poems, Truth Poems, Fathers Poems, Sin Poems, Law & Regulation PoemsBased on Keywords: fanatic, dogma, juggernaut