To Thee I only live

(photo by Shawn, Bilby farm)

This poem seems appropriate as we near Christmas...

Here's my poetry tangent: I used to go through poetry books and choose the shortest ones to read, simply because I had a hard time understanding them. Some still require decoding, and I, as the reader, may never quite "arrive", but that's okay. For me, it's about being spoken to in a less common way. And the poetry of old is so fascinating...there is something so deep and mystifying about hearing from someone who has gone before us. Precious words hold great value for us today, but there's definitely a draw to see those words written before technology blasted into the scene. The quill pen...

To Jesus

Rise, O my soul, with thy desires to heaven,
And with divinest contemplation use
Thy time where time's eternity is given,
And let vain thoughts no more thy thoughts abuse;
But down in midnight darkness let them lie;
So live thy better, let they worse thoughts die!

And thou, my soul, inspired with holy flame,
View and review with most regardful eye
That holy Cross, whence thy salvation came,
On which thy Saviour and thy sin did die!
For in that sacred object is much pleasure,
And in that Saviour is my life, my treasure.

To Thee, O Jesu! I direct my eye,
To Thee my hands, to Thee my humble knees;
To Thee my heart shall offer sacrifice;
To Thee my thoughts, Who my thoughts only sees:
To Thee myselft, myself and all I give;
To Thee I die, to Thee I only live!

Sir Walter Raleigh, 1552-1618