"Ah, what am I, that God has chosen me To bear this blessed burden, to endure Daily the presence of this loveliness, To guide this Glory that shall guide the world? "Brawny these arms to win Him bread, and broad Elsa Barker CHILD The young child, Christ, is straight and wise And the young child, Christ, goes on asking And the old men answer nothing and only know love COMRADE JESUS Carl Sandburg Thanks to Saint Matthew, who had been We know whose side was spoken for "Where sore they toil and hard they lie, By Dives' door, with thoughtful eye, "A dangerous man," said Caiaphas, For law and order, it was plain, Their clumsy force with force to foil Between the twilights of his end, Ah, let no Local him refuse! Comrade Jesus hath paid his dues. Whatever other be debarred, Comrade Jesus hath his red card. Sarah N. Cleghorn AN UNBELIEVER All these on whom the sacred seal was set, They could forsake thee while thine eyes were wet. I have looked long into those friendly eyes, One broke thee with a kiss at eventide, Yet must I seek thy hands, thy feet, thy side. Behold that John that leaned upon thy breast; Peace thou wilt give to them of troubled mind, But that thou canst not heal, though thou art kind. They asked one day to sit beside thy throne. I made one prayer, in silence and alone. Brother, thou knowest my unbelief in thee. Bear not my sins, for thou must bear thine own. Even he that grieves thee most "Lord, Lord," he saith, So will I call on thee with my last breath! Brother, not once have I believed in thee. Anna Hempstead Branch THE JEW TO JESUS O Man of my own people, I alone Among these alien ones can know thy face, Thy praises, those who, striving to make known Of thy sweet human meaning in its place, Are we not sharers of thy Passion? Yea, In spirit-anguish closely by thy side We have drained the bitter cup, and, tortured, felt In every land is our Gethsemane. A thousand times have we been crucified. Florence Kiper Frank THE BALLAD OF THE CROSS Melchior, Gaspar, Balthazar, And golden things-the joy of kings— It was the shepherd Terish spake, And it was Mary held her Son It was the Christ-Child in her arms Who turned from wondrous gifts and great, And to His breast the cross He pressed That scarce His hands could hold. "Twas king and shepherd went their wayGreat wonder tore their bliss; 'Twas Mary clasped her little Son Close, close to feel her kiss, And in His hold the cross lay cold Between her heart and His! Theodosia Garrison NATURE IN CONTEMPORARY POETRY In the past decade the stimulating themes of democracy, industrial civilization and the great war have engaged the attention of the poets. But the ancient and everlasting themes of human life have never been forgotten. While we have love and birth and death, poets will sing of them. While we have changing seasons and streams clamorous with the white danger of rapids, woods blessed by early hepaticas or late asters, poets will go back to the open world for refuge and for inspiration. The joy and solace of that open world will be echoed in their poems. Probably the poets of to-day have written as many poems of nature as were ever written in any period. Even poets who can seldom summon sufficient vigor of spirit to write acceptably of anything else can make a few acceptable poems about the beauty of the natural world. It is the only world that our forefathers knew in the days before there were cities. It is the world to which the psyche of mankind has been attuned by time. But we shall find the new spirit of new days even in the poems of nature. Poets of to-day do not write of the out of doors as their ancestors wrote of it. No contemporary poet of the first rank would be likely to write lines like the famous ones of Wordsworth: "One impulse from a vernal wood May teach you more of man Of moral evil and of good Than all the sages can." He could not write in this way because he would not be likely to think and feel in this way. Certainly nature is good for us. Air is good to breathe and water is good to drink and the natural beauty of the out of doors is like the breath of life and the water |