Poetry Saturday—On Another’s Sorrow

March 21, 2020 — Craig T. Owens
Can I see another’s woe,
And not be in sorrow too?
Can I see another’s grief,
And not seek for kind relief?


Can I see a falling tear,


And not feel my sorrow’s share?


Can a father see his child


Weep, nor be with sorrow filled?




Can a mother sit and hear


An infant groan, an infant fear?


No, no! never can it be!


Never, never can it be!




And can He who smiles on all


Hear the wren with sorrows small,


Hear the small bird’s grief and care,


Hear the woes that infants bear—




And not sit beside the next,


Pouring pity in their breast,


And not sit the cradle near,


Weeping tear on infant’s tear?




And not sit both night and day,


Wiping all our tears away?


Oh no! never can it be!


Never, never can it be!


He doth give His joy to all:


He becomes an infant small,


He becomes a man of woe,


He doth feel the sorrow too.




Think not thou canst sigh a sigh,


And thy Maker is not by:


Think not thou canst weep a tear,


And thy Maker is not near.




Oh He gives to us His joy,


That our grief He may destroy:


Till our grief is fled an gone


He doth sit by us and moan. —William Blake








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Poetry Saturday—Our Sins The Cause Of Christ’s Death

April 27, 2019 — Craig T. Owens 




Infinite grief! amazing woe!


Behold my bleeding Lord!


Hell and the Jews conspired His death,


And us’d the Roman sword.




O the sharp pangs of smarting pain


My dear Redeemer bore,


When knotty whips, and ragged thorns,


His sacred body tore!




But knotty whips, and ragged thorns


In vain do I accuse;


In vain I blame the Roman bands,


And the more spiteful Jews.




‘Twas you, my sins, my cruel sins,


His chief tormentors were;


Each of my crimes became a nail,


And unbelief the spear.




It was you that pulled the vengeance down


Upon His guiltless head;


Break, break, my heart! O burst mine eyes!


And let my sorrows bleed.




Strike, mighty grace, my flinty soul,


Till melting waters flow,


And deep repentance drown mine eyes


In undissembled woe. —Isaac Watts






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Weeping And Rejoicing

April 6, 2019 — Craig T. Owens 




“First, I would bid you stand and see the place where the Lord lay with emotions of deep sorrow. O come, my beloved brother, thy Jesus once lay there. He was a murdered man, my soul, and thou the murderer.


‘Ah, you, my sins, my cruel sins,
His chief tormentors were,
Each of my crimes became a nail,
And unbelief the spear.’


‘Alas! and did my Saviour bleed?
And did my Sov’reign die?’


“I slew Him—this right hand struck the dagger to His heart. My deeds slew Christ. Alas! I slew my best beloved: I killed Him who loved me with an everlasting love. Ye eyes, why do ye refuse to weep when ye see Jesus’ body mangled and torn? Oh! give vent to your sorrow, Christians, for ye have good reason to do so…. My soul was drowning. From heaven’s high portals He saw me sinking in the depths of hell. He plunged in.


‘He SANK beneath His heavy woes,
To raise me to a crown;
There’s ne’er a gift His hand bestows.
But cost His heart a groan.’


“Ah! we may indeed regret our sin, since it slew Jesus.


“Now, Christian, change thy note a moment. ‘Come, see the place where the Lord lay,’ with joy and gladness. He does not lie there now. Weep, when ye see the tomb of Christ, but rejoice because it is empty. Thy sin slew Him, but His divinity raised Him up. Thy guilt hath murdered Him, but His righteousness hath restored Him. Oh! He hath burst the bonds of death; He hath ungirt the cerements of the tomb, and hath come out more than conqueror, crushing death beneath His feet. Rejoice, O Christian, for He is not there—He is risen.” —Charles Spurgeon 






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Poetry Saturday—Against A Thorn

January 19, 2019 — Craig T. Owens 




 




Once I heard a song of sweetness,


As it cleft the morning air,


Sounding in its blest completeness,


Like a tender, pleading prayer;


And I sought to find the singer,


Whence the wondrous song was borne;


And I found a bird, sore wounded,


Pinioned by a cruel thorn.


 


I have seen a soul in sadness,


While its wings with pain were furl’d,


Giving hope, and cheer and gladness


That should bless a weeping world;


And I knew that life of sweetness,


Was of pain and sorrow raw borne,


And a stricken soul was singing,


With its heart against a thorn.


 


Ye are told of One who loved you,


Of a Saviour crucified,


Ye are told of nails that pinioned,


And a spear that pierced His side;


Ye are told of cruel scourging,


Of a Saviour bearing scorn,


And He died for your salvation,


With His brow against a thorn.


 


Ye “are not above the Master.”


Will you breathe a sweet refrain?


And His grace will be sufficient,


When your heart is pierced with pain.


Will you live to bless His loved ones,


Tho’ your life be bruised and torn,


Like the bird that sang so sweetly,


With its heart against a thorn? —Carrie Ellis Breck








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Poetry Saturday—If All My Days Were Sunny

March 18, 2017 — Craig T. Owens 








If all my days were sunny, could I say,


“In His fair land He wipes all tears away”?




If I were never weary, could I keep


This blessed truth, “He gives His loved ones sleep”?




If no grave were mine, I might come to deem


The Life Eternal but a baseless dream.




My winter, and my tears, and weariness,


Even my grave, may be His way to bless.




I called them ills; yet that can surely be


Nothing but love that shows my Lord to me! 




—Anonymous










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Poetry Saturday—Let Us Be Kind

November 19, 2016 — Craig T. Owens 








hearts-in-natureLet us be kind;


The way is long and lonely,


And human hearts are asking for this blessing only—


     That we be kind.


We cannot know the grief that men may borrow,


We cannot see the souls storm-swept by sorrow,


But love can shine upon the way today, tomorrow—


     Let us be kind.


 




Let us be kind;


This is a wealth that has no measure,


This is of heaven and earth the highest treasure—


     Let us be kind.


A tender word, a smile of love in meeting,


A song of hope and victory to those retreating,


A glimpse of God and brotherhood while life is fleeting—


     Let us be kind.


 




Let us be kind;


Around the world the tears of time are falling,


And for the love and lost these human hearts are calling—


     Let us be kind.


To age and youth let gracious words be spoken,


Upon the wheel of pain so many weary lives are broken,


We live in vain who give no tender token—


     Let us be kind.


 




Let us be kind;


The sunset tints will soon be in the west,


Too late the flowers are laid then onto quiet breast—


     Let us be kind.


And when the angel guides have sought and found us,


Their hands shall link the broken ties of earth that bound us,


And heaven and home shall brighten all around us—


     Let us be kind. —W. Lomax Childress










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Poetry Saturday—See God In Everything

October 1, 2016 — Craig T. Owens 








lake-michigan“Give me a new idea,” I said,
While musing on a sleepless bed;
“A new idea that’ll bring to earth
A balm for souls of priceless worth;
That’ll give men thoughts of things above,
And teach them how to serve and love,
That’ll banish every selfish thought,
And rid men of the sins they’ve fought.” 



The new thought came, just how, I’ll tell:
‘Twas when on bended knee I fell,
And sought from Him who knows full well
The way our sorrow to expel.
See God in all things, great and small,
And give Him praise whate’er befall,
In life or death, in pain or woe,
See God, and overcome thy foe.




I saw Him in the morning light,
He made the day shine clear and bright;
I saw Him in the noontide hour,
And gained from Him refreshing shower.
At eventide, when worn and sad,
He gave me help, and made me glad.
At midnight, when on tossing bed
My weary soul to sleep He led.



I saw Him when great losses came,
And found He loved me just the same.
When heavy loads I had to bear,
I found He lightened every care.
By sickness, sorrow, sore distress,
He calmed my mind and gave me rest.
He’s filled my heart with gladsome praise
Since I gave Him the upward gaze.




‘Twas new to me, yet old to some,
This thought that to me has become
A revelation of the way
We all should live throughout the day;
For as each day unfolds its light,
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.
Life will, indeed, a blessing bring,
If we SEE GOD IN EVERYTHING.” —A.E. Finn










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Poetry Saturday—Joy And Sorrow

August 27, 2016 — Craig T. Owens 




I know this technically isn’t a “poem” but I found this allegory poetically beautiful. I hope you enjoy it as I did!


FullSizeRender“…sorrowful, yet always rejoicing…” (2 Corinthians 6:10)


Sorrow was beautiful, but her beauty was the beauty of the moonlight shining through the leafy branches of the trees in the wood, and making little pools of silver here and there on the soft green moss below. When Sorrow sang, her notes were like the low sweet call of the nightingale, and in her eyes was the unexpectant gaze of one who has ceased to look for coming gladness. She could weep in tender sympathy with those who weep, but to rejoice with those who rejoice was unknown to her.


Joy was beautiful, too, but his was the radiant beauty of the summer morning. His eyes still held the glad laughter of childhood, and his hair had the glint of the sunshine’s kiss. When Joy sang his voice soared upward as the lark’s, and his step was the step of a conqueror who has never known defeat. He could rejoice with all who rejoice, but to weep with those who weep was unknown to him.


“But we can never be united,” said Sorrow wistfully.


“No, never.” And Joy’s eyes shadowed as he spoke. “My path lies through the sunlit meadows, the sweetest roses bloom for my gathering, and the blackbirds and thrushes await my coming to pour forth their most joyous lays.”


“My path,” said Sorrow, turning slowly away, “leads through the darkening woods, with moon-flowers only shall my hands be filled. Yet the sweetest of all earth-songs—the love song of the night—shall be mine; farewell, Joy, farewell.”


Even as she spoke they became conscious of a form standing beside them; dimly seen, but of a Kingly Presence, and a great and holy awe stole over them as they sank on their knees before Him.


“I see Him as the King of Joy,” whispered Sorrow, “for on His Head are many crowns, and the nail prints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great victory. Before Him all my sorrow is melting away into deathless love and gladness, and I give myself to Him forever.”


“Nay, Sorrow,” said Joy softly, “but I see Him as the King of Sorrow, and the crown on His head is a crown of thorns, and the nail prints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great agony. I, too, give myself to Him forever, for sorrow with Him must be sweeter than any joy that I have known.”


“Then we are one in Him,” they cried in gladness, “for none but He could unite Joy and Sorrow.”


Hand in hand they passed out into the world to follow Him through storm and sunshine, in the bleakness of winter cold and the warmth of summer gladness, “as sorrowful yet always rejoicing.” —Lettie Cowman






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Poetry Saturday—Is It Raining?

July 2, 2016 — Craig T. Owens 






FullSizeRender 12Is it raining, little flower?


     Be glad of rain;


Too much sun would wither one;


     It will shine again.


The clouds are very dark, it’s true;


But just behind them shines the blue.




Are you weary, tender heart?


     Be glad of pain:


In sorrow, sweetest virtues grow,


     As flowers in rain.


God watches, and you will have sun,


When clouds their perfect work have done. —Lucy Larcom








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God’s Heavenly Choir

June 16, 2016 — Craig T. Owens 




George Matheson“Certain songs can only be learned in the valley. No music school can teach them, for no theory can cause them to be perfectly sung. Their music is found in the heart. They are songs remembered through personal experience, revealing their burdens through the shadows of the past, and soaring on the wings of yesterday. … Therefore, dear soul, in this life you are receiving a music lesson from your Father. You are being trained to sing in a choir you cannot yet see, and there will be parts in the chorus that only you can sing. … Others have said that He sends sorrow to test you, yet this is not the case. He sends sorrow to educate you, thereby providing you with the proper training for His heavenly choir. … O dear soul, do not despise your school of sorrow. It is bestowing upon you a unique part in the heavenly song [Revelation 14:3].” —George Matheson






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