The Miracle and Other Poems

쉸The Miracle and Other Poems

The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Miracle and Other Poems, by Virna Sheard
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Title: The Miracle and Other Poems
Author: Virna Sheard
Release Date: January 19, 2004 [eBook #10750]
Language: English
Character set encoding: US-ASCII
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MIRACLE AND OTHER POEMS***
E-text prepared by Al Haines, Victoria, B.C., Canada, January 2004

THE MIRACLE
AND OTHER POEMS
BY VIRNA SHEARD
1913

TO MY DEAR BROTHER
ELDRIDGE STANTON (JUNIOR)
WHO DIED BRAVELY AT NIAGARA, ON THE AFTERNOON OF SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH, 1912.
No tears for thee, no tears, or sighs, Or breaking heart-- But smiles, that thou so well that bitter hour Didst play thy part!
VIRNA SHEARD.

CONTENTS
THE MIRACLE THE CROW WHEN APRIL COMES KISMET A SONG OF SUMMER DAYS AT THE PLAY CHRISTMAS THE HEART COURAGEOUS A SONG THE CALL THE KNIGHT-ERRANT A SOUTHERN LULLABY THE FAIRY CLOCK THE SLUMBER ANGEL THE LONELY ROAD SEA-BORN THE ANGEL WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES THE OPAL MONTH NOCTURNE A SONG OF LOVE THE UNKNOWING THE PETITION HALLOWE'EN THE GLEANER THE ROVER IN SOLITUDE THE ROBIN A SONG OF ROSES PRAIRIE THE CUMBER THE DAISY THE VISION SAINTS AT MIDNIGHT NOVEMBER THE LILY-POND LILACS APRIL PAEANS THE HARP GULLS THE SHEPHERD WIND THE TEMPLE REQUEST A SONG THE TOAST THE SEA-SHELL AT DAWN THE WHISTLER COMMON-WEALTH DON CUPID HEAVEN SIR HENRY IRVING JEAN DE BREBOEUF IN EGYPT A SONG OF POPPIES A PAGAN PRAYER A LOVE SONG

THE MIRACLE AND OTHER POEMS
THE MIRACLE
Up from the templed city of the Jews, The road ran straight and white To Jericho, the City of the Palms, The City of Delight.
Down that still road from far Judean hills The shepherds drove their sheep At silver dawn--at stirring of the birds-- When men were all asleep.
Full many went that weary way at noon, Or rested by the trees, Romans and slaves, Gentiles and bearded priests, Sinners and Pharisees.
But when the pink clouds drifted far and high, Like rose leaves blowing past, When in the west where one star blessed the sky The gates of day shut fast.
All travellers journeyed home, and the moonlight Washed the road fresh and sweet, Until it seemed a gleaming ivory path, Waiting for royal feet.
* * * * *
Now it was noon, and life at its full tide Rolled ever to and fro, A restless sea, between Jerusalem And white-walled Jericho.
Blind Bartimeus, by the highway side, Sat begging 'neath the trees, And heard the world go by, Gentiles and Jews, Sinners and Pharisees.
Blind Bartimeus of the mask-like face, And patient, outstretched hand-- He upon whom his God had set a mark No man might understand;
Blind Bartimeus of the lonely dark, Who knew no thing called fear, But dreamt his dreams, and heard the little sounds No man but he could hear.
He heard the beating of the bird's soft wings Uprising through the air; He heard the camel's footfall in the dust, And knew who travelled there.
He heard the lizard when it moved at noon On the grey, sunlit wall; He heard the far-off temple bells, what time He felt the shadows fall.
Now, in the golden hour, he stooped to hear A muffled sound and low, The tramping of a myriad sandalled feet That came from Jericho.
Then on the road a little lad he knew Ran past, with eager cry, "Ho, Bartimeus! Give thine heart good cheer, For David's Son comes by!
"He comes! He comes! And, sad one, who can say What He may do for thee? He makes the lame to walk! He heals the sick! He makes the blind to see!"
"He makes the blind to see! Oh, God of Hosts, Beyond the sky called blue, What if Messiah cometh to His own! What if the words be true!"
On his swift way the little herald sped, Like bird upon the wing, And left the lean, brown beggar--world-forgot-- Waiting for Israel's King.
But when the dust came whirling to his feet-- When the mad throng drew near-- Blind Bartimeus rose, and from his lips A cry rang loud and clear--
The cry of all the ages, of each soul In sad captivity; The endless cry from depths of bitter woe-- "Have mercy upon me!"
What though the wild oncoming multitude Jested and bade him cease; What though the Scribes and mighty Pharisees Told him to keep his peace;
What though his heart grew faint, and all the strength Slipped from each trembling limb-- The One of all the earth his soul desired Stood still--and spoke to him.
Then silence fell, while the upheaving throng, As sea-waves backward curled, Left a great path, and down the path there shone The Light of all the world.
The Light from whose mysterious