Blog - Joyful Curmudgeon - Blog
A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 

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Edwin Markham – 26 December 2008
By Mary T. Hoffman

Edwin Markham, born 23 April 1852, was an American poet and lecturer. As a young man he attended school in California and wrote verse for California papers. Later, he became a school superintendent. After 1899 he lived on Staten Island, New York. Edwin Markham died 7 March 1940.

For today I’ve chosen this poem by Edwin Markham:

A PRAYER
Edwin Markham (1852–1940)

Teach me, Father, how to go
Softly as the grasses grow;
Hush my soul to meet the shock
Of the wild world as a rock;
But my spirit, propped with power,
Make as simple as a flower.
Let the dry heart fill its cup,
Like a poppy looking up;
Let life lightly wear her crown
Like a poppy looking down,
When its heart is filled with dew,
And its life begins anew.

Teach me, Father, how to be
Kind and patient as a tree.
Joyfully the crickets croon
Under the shady oak at noon;
Beetle, on his mission bent,
Tarries in that cooling tent.
Let me, also, cheer a spot,
Hidden field or garden grot—
Place where passing souls can rest
On the way and be their best.

For a large collection of poems and stories, visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/poetrydir.html

Go on to: Frances Ridley Havergal – 27 December 2008
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