Classic Poem

The God who had such heart for us
as made Him leave His house,
come down through archipelagos
of stars and live with us
has such a store of joys laid down
their savors will not sour:
the cool, gold wines of Paradise,
the bread of Heaven's flour.

He'll meet the soul which comes in love
and deal it joy on joy—
as once He dealt out star and star
to garrison the sky,
to stand there over rains and snows
and deck the dark of night—
so, God will deal the soul, like stars,
delight upon delight.

Night skies have planet-armies, still
the blue is never full;
rich, massive stars have never bowed
one cloud-bed's flock of wool;
red worlds of dreadful molten fire
have singed no speck of air:—
all is in place, and, each to each,
God's creatures show His care.

The soul will take each joy He deals
as skies take star on star,
be never filled, be never bowed,
be airy, as clouds are,
burn with enlarging heat and shine
with ever-brightening ray,
joyful and gathering thirst for joy
throughout Unending Day.