Saturday, 23 April 2005 - Robert Frost's "A Prayer in Spring"

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for a spring prayer written by Robert Frost in 1913.

While conducting research on the Internet, the title appears in a citation. A serendipity. I first met this poem years ago while feeding my passion for 20th century American verse. My heart sighs as I read the words again, "Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today ..."

"Perfect timing," exclaims the the angel of good writing and the patron saint of poets. After all, April is National Poetry Month - an excellent time to fall in love with a poem (or a poet).

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

A Prayer in Spring
by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
To which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends he will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.