Many have Earth’s lovers been,
Tried in seas and wars, I ween;
Yet the mightiest have I seen:
Yea, the best saw I.
One that in a field alone
Stood up stiller than a stone
Lest a moth should fly.
Birds had nested in his hair,
On his shoon were mosses rare,
Insect empires flourished there,
Worms in ancient wars;
But his eyes burn like a glass,
Hearing a great sea of grass
Roar towards the stars.
From them to the human tree
Rose a cry continually:
`Thou art still, our Father, we
Fain would have thee nod.
Make the skies as blood below thee,
Though thou slay us, we shall know thee.
Answer us, O God!
`Show thine ancient fame and thunder,
Split the stillness once asunder,
Lest we whisper, lest we wonder
Art thou there at all?’
But I saw him there alone,
Standing stiller than a stone
Lest a moth should fall.
(G. K. Chesterton)
More Poetry from G. K. Chesterton:
G. K. Chesterton Poems based on Topics: God, War & Peace, Birds, Cry, Fathers, Hair, Insects- The Holy of Holies (G. K. Chesterton Poem)
- Eternities (G. K. Chesterton Poem)
- The New Freethinker (G. K. Chesterton Poem)
- On the Disastrous Spread of Aestheticism in all Classes (G. K. Chesterton Poem)
- The Deluge (G. K. Chesterton Poem)
- Femina Contra Mundum (G. K. Chesterton Poem)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: God Poems, War & Peace Poems, Cry Poems, Birds Poems, Fathers Poems, Hair Poems, Insects PoemsBased on Keywords: hearing, split, fame, towards, stillness, worms, ween, asunder, mosses, slay, nod