King’s Daughter!
Wouldst thou be all fair,
Without–within–
Peerless and beautiful,
A very Queen?
Know then:–
Not as men build unto the Silent One,–
With clang and clamour,
Traffic of rude voices,
Clink of steel on stone,
And din of hammer;–
Not so the temple of thy grace is reared.
But,–in the inmost shrine
Must thou begin,
And build with care
A Holy Place,
A place unseen,
Each stone a prayer.
Then, having built,
Thy shrine sweep bare
Of self and sin,
And all that might demean;
And, with endeavour,
Watching ever, praying ever,
Keep it fragrant-sweet, and clean:
So, by God’s grace, it be fit place,–
His Christ shall enter and shall dwell therein.
Not as in earthly fane–where chase
Of steel on stone may strive to win
Some outward grace,–
_Thy temple face is chiselled from within_.
(John Oxenham)
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Based on Topics: Faces Poems, Fairness Poems, Christianity Poems, Place Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Beauty Poems, Jesus Christ Poems, Prayers Poems, Sin Poems, Daughters Poems, Self PoemsBased on Keywords: demean, without-within