O Father! Thou dost love, Thou canst not hate,
It is Thy very nature to be blest
In giving all Thy creatures all the best,
We love what we create.
Even with us, Thy special image Man,
Our various works to us are ever dear,
For labour sweetens all its conquests here
Outblessing all its ban.
Whatever with an earnest heart we do,
Fashioning, or improving, in hot zeal,
Therewith we mix ourselves, and strongly feel
Our works our children too.
The book, the statue, nay the trees we set,
The painting, or the building, or this rhyme,
Whatever is our offspring for the time,
It hath our yearnings yet.
O Father! then we need not fear the lot
Of being overlook’d, since Thou hast made;
We cling to Thee securely, unafraid
That Thou rememberest not.
Never was Fatherhood allied with hate;
Thou art all love: accept us; for we know
That we can sympathise; yea, deeply so;
We love what we create.
(Martin Farquhar Tupper)
More Poetry from Martin Farquhar Tupper:
Martin Farquhar Tupper Poems based on Topics: Man, Love, Time, Charity, Nature, Fathers, Books, Hatred, Enthusiasm, Drawing & Painting- My Ode And Three Sonnets (As First Published On The Coronation Of Queen Victoria, June 28, 1838) (Martin Farquhar Tupper Poems)
- Waterloo (A Ballad For The Soldier) (Martin Farquhar Tupper Poems)
- Shakspeare. (An Ode For His Three-Hundredth Birthday) (Martin Farquhar Tupper Poems)
- Liberty - Equality - Fraternity! (Martin Farquhar Tupper Poems)
- Imagination (Suggested By An Ideal Portrait) (Martin Farquhar Tupper Poems)
- A Dirge For Wellington (Martin Farquhar Tupper Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Love Poems, Man Poems, Time Poems, Nature Poems, Fathers Poems, Charity Poems, Books Poems, Hatred Poems, Drawing & Painting Poems, Enthusiasm PoemsBased on Keywords: sympathise, rememberest, fatherhood