Part I.

The Pathways sing beneath the walk
The Stones all gibber and chatter
Even the Hills will seem to talk
But God is ever silent.

The Sun above does gladly shout
The Moon is ever laughing
Nocturnal Stars are calling out
But God is yet still silent.

The Rivers dance while they converse
The Trees cry out rejoicing
The Flow’rs and Shrubs repeat their verse
So why is God yet silent?

The warm, dark Earth sounds forth a chant
Great Waters deep are whispering
Nature declares, she won’t recant
That God is ever silent.

To hear that Voice divine I long
And yet my weeping is ignored
O God! do not reject my song
Do not remain still silent!

One syllable worth any price
“Repent ye now”,
The Angelic advice,
“Embrace God’s holy silence.”

So now, of succour sweet despairing
With girded ***** and bracèd nerves
For trials fierce and pains preparing
I wade into God’s silence.

Part II.

The roaring wheel of brass and fire which turns
Clamoring discontented mind
When hearts a break with noise would find
Rams into the sanctuary and burns.

Titan of confusion, shrieking manic
Hurling anxious darts left and right
Bitter fear of sweet, quiet night
Raises pale banners in rebel panic.

And then is swallowed by the silence of God.

And then that vicious imp, empty as smoke
With shadow flares and eye-hooks small
****** still ears with his plaintive call
Stirring bare phantoms better left unwoke.

Reveler in flight, retreating gladly
One second seen, another vanished
When from vision’s corner banished
In dawn’s clear light melts, moans, and mourns sadly.

And then is swallowed by the silence of God.

Next comes the whispering harpy snarling
With siren’s chant and feathered dance,
Star-lit promise of dire romance,
Ev’ry poison played to snare her darling.

With pitfalls, traps, and terror’s bone-deep goad
She drives the frail into her arms;
Should the pilgrim despise her charms
She falls unembraced from the narrow road.

And then is swallowed by the silence of God.

Then mem’ry’s cursèd brother, roused at last
Renews and fires old sleeping fears
Unseals fountains of ancient tears
Loosing soul-deep wolves, self-war loping fast.

He sings forgotten songs of unhealed woe
Canticles of reminding pain
Recalling weakness to the brain
Parades of shame and horrors marching slow.

And then is swallowed by the silence of God.

Now stripped and shivering the sinner lies
To vain light blind, to mean pain numb
To ****** words both deaf and dumb,
All spent, undone, to Heaven weakly sighs.

Then lo! a gentl’r sun, a fairer glow,
Voice free from the burden of clay
Sure refuge of undying day
Descends to see, to touch, to heal, to know.

And ah! to be swallowed by the silence of God!