Poems by Christina Georgina Rossetti Part 9

"A BRUISED REED SHALL HE NOT BREAK."

I will accept thy will to do and be, Thy hatred and intolerance of sin, Thy will at least to love, that burns within And thirsteth after Me: So will I render fruitful, blessing still The germs and small beginnings in thy heart, Because thy will cleaves to the better part.-- Alas, I cannot will.

Dost not thou will, poor soul? Yet I receive The inner unseen longings of the soul; I guide them turning towards Me; I control And charm hearts till they grieve: If thou desire, it yet shall come to pa.s.s, Though thou but wish indeed to choose My love; For I have power in earth and heaven above.-- I cannot wish, alas!

What, neither choose nor wish to choose? and yet I still must strive to win thee and constrain: For thee I hung upon the cross in pain, How then can I forget?

If thou as yet dost neither love, nor hate, Nor choose, nor wish,--resign thyself, be still Till I infuse love, hatred, longing, will.-- I do not deprecate.

A BETTER RESURRECTION.

I have no wit, no words, no tears; My heart within me like a stone Is numbed too much for hopes or fears; Look right, look left, I dwell alone; I lift mine eyes, but dimmed with grief No everlasting hills I see; My life is in the falling leaf: O Jesus, quicken me!

My life is like a faded leaf, My harvest dwindled to a husk; Truly my life is void and brief And tedious in the barren dusk; My life is like a frozen thing, No bud nor greenness can I see: Yet rise it shall,--the sap of Spring; O Jesus, rise in me!

My life is like a broken bowl, A broken bowl that cannot hold One drop of water for my soul Or cordial in the searching cold; Cast in the fire the perished thing, Melt and remould it, till it be A royal cup for Him my King: O Jesus, drink of me!

ADVENT.

This Advent moon shines cold and clear, These Advent nights are long; Our lamps have burned year after year, And still their flame is strong.

"Watchman, what of the night?" we cry, Heart-sick with hope deferred: "No speaking signs are in the sky,"

Is still the watchman's word.

The Porter watches at the gate, The servants watch within; The watch is long betimes and late, The prize is slow to win.

"Watchman, what of the night?" but still His answer sounds the same: "No daybreak tops the utmost hill, Nor pale our lamps of flame."

One to another hear them speak, The patient virgins wise: "Surely He is not far to seek,"-- "All night we watch and rise."

"The days are evil looking back, The coming days are dim; Yet count we not His promise slack, But watch and wait for Him."

One with another, soul with soul, They kindle fire from fire: "Friends watch us who have touched the goal."

"They urge us, come up higher."

"With them shall rest our waysore feet, With them is built our home, With Christ." "They sweet, but He most sweet, Sweeter than honeycomb."

There no more parting, no more pain, The distant ones brought near, The lost so long are found again, Long lost but longer dear: Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, Nor heart conceived that rest, With them our good things long deferred, With Jesus Christ our Best.

We weep because the night is long, We laugh, for day shall rise, We sing a slow contented song And knock at Paradise.

Weeping we hold Him fast Who wept For us,--we hold Him fast; And will not let Him go except He bless us first or last.

Weeping we hold Him fast to-night; We will not let Him go Till daybreak smite our wearied sight, And summer smite the snow: Then figs shall bud, and dove with dove Shall coo the livelong day; Then He shall say, "Arise, My love, My fair one, come away."

THE THREE ENEMIES.

THE FLESH.

"Sweet, thou art pale."

"More pale to see, Christ hung upon the cruel tree And bore His Father's wrath for me."

"Sweet, thou art sad."

"Beneath a rod More heavy, Christ for my sake trod The winepress of the wrath of G.o.d."

"Sweet, thou art weary."

"Not so Christ: Whose mighty love of me sufficed For Strength, Salvation, Eucharist."

"Sweet, thou art footsore."

"If I bleed, His feet have bled: yea, in my need His Heart once bled for mine indeed."

THE WORLD.

"Sweet, thou art young."

"So He was young Who for my sake in silence hung Upon the Cross with Pa.s.sion wrung."

"Look, thou art fair."

"He was more fair Than men, Who deigned for me to wear A visage marred beyond compare."

"And thou hast riches."

"Daily bread: All else is His; Who living, dead, For me lacked where to lay His Head."

"And life is sweet."

"It was not so To Him, Whose Cup did overflow With mine unutterable woe."

THE DEVIL.

"Thou drinkest deep."

"When Christ would sup He drained the dregs from out my cup: So how should I be lifted up?"

"Thou shalt win Glory."

"In the skies, Lord Jesus, cover up mine eyes Lest they should look on vanities."

"Thou shalt have Knowledge."

"Helpless dust, In Thee, O Lord, I put my trust: Answer Thou for me, Wise and Just."

"And Might."

"Get thee behind me. Lord, Who hast redeemed and not abhorred My soul, O keep it by Thy Word."