Not to the swift, the race:
Not to the strong, the fight:
Not to the righteous, perfect grace:
Not to the wise, the light.
But often faltering feet
Come surest to the goal;
And they who walk in darkness meet
The sunrise of the soul.
A thousand times by night
The Syrian hosts have died;
A thousand times the vanquished right
Hath risen, glorified.
The truth the wise men sought
Was spoken by a child;
The alabaster box was brought
In trembling hands defiled.
Not from my torch, the gleam,
But from the stars above:
Not from my heart, life’s crystal stream,
But from the depths of Love.
(Henry Van Dyke)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, Life Poems, Light Poems, Soul Poems, Wisdom & Knowledge Poems, Truth Poems, Perfection Poems, Goals PoemsBased on Keywords: risen, sunrise, box, depths, torch, righteous, glorified, hosts, vanquished, faltering, surest