Psalm IV

Related poetry:

1. Theme For English B The instructor said, Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you Then, it will be true. I wonder if it’s that simple? I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem. I went to school there, then Durham, then here To this college on the hill above Harlem. I am […]...
2. Juke Box Love Song I could take the Harlem night And wrap around you, Take the neon lights and make a crown, Take the Lenox Avenue busses, Taxis, subways, And for your love song tone their rumble down. Take Harlem’s heartbeat, Make a drumbeat, Put it on a record, let it whirl, And while we listen to it play, […]...
3. The Demon In Me The demon in me’s not dead, He’s living, and well. In the body as in a hold, In the self as in a cell. The world is but walls. The exit’s the axe. (“All the world’s a stage,” The actor prates.) And that hobbling buffoon Is no joker; In the body as in glory, In […]...
4. Psalm 27 part 2 v.8,9,13,14 C. M. Prayer and hope. Soon as I heard my Father say, “Ye children, seek my grace,” My heart replied without delay, “I’ll seek my Father’s face.” Let not thy face be hid from me, Nor frown my soul away; God of my life, I fly to thee In a distressing day. Should friends […]...
5. Night Funeral In Harlem Night funeral In Harlem: Where did they get Them two fine cars? Insurance man, he did not pay His insurance lapsed the other day Yet they got a satin box For his head to lay. Night funeral In Harlem: Who was it sent That wreath of flowers? Them flowers came From that poor boy’s friends […]...
6. Psalm 63 Longing after God; or, The love of God better than life. Great God, indulge my humble claim, Thou art my hope, my joy, my rest; The glories that compose thy name Stand all engaged to make me blest. Thou great and good, thou just and wise, Thou art my Father and my God; And I […]...
7. Psalm 40 Part 2 v.6-9 C. M. The incarnation and sacrifice of Christ. Thus saith the Lord, “Your work is vain Give your burnt-offerings o’er; In dying goats, and bullocks slain, My soul delights no more.” Then spake the Savior, “Lo, I’m here, My God, to do thy will; Whate’er thy sacred books declare, Thy servant shall fulfil. “Thy […]...
8. Psalm 77 part 1 Melancholy assaulting, and hope prevailing. To God I cried with mournful voice, I sought his gracious ear, In the sad day when troubles rose, And filled the night with fear. Sad were my days, and dark my nights, My soul refused relief; I thought on God the just and wise, But thoughts increased my grief. […]...
9. Psalm 69 part 1 v.1-14 C. M. The sufferings of Christ for our salvation. “Save me, O God, the swelling floods Break in upon my soul; I sink, and sorrows o’er my head Like mighty waters roll. “I cry till all my voice be gone, In tears I waste the day: My God, behold my longing eyes, And shorten […]...
10. The Absence I speak to you across cities I speak to you across plains My mouth is upon your pillow Both faces of the walls come meeting My voice discovering you I speak to you of eternity O cities memories of cities Cities wrapped in our desires Cities come early cities come lately Cities strong and cities […]...
11. Psalm 18 part 1 v.1-6,15-18 L. M. Deliverance from despair. Thee will I love, O Lord, my strength, My rock, my tower, my high defence: Thy mighty arm shall be my trust, For I have found salvation thence. Death, and the terrors of the grave, Stood round me with their dismal shade; While floods of high temptations rose, And […]...
12. Psalm 18 part 3 v.30,31,34,35,46-50 L. M. Rejoicing in God. Just are thy ways, and true thy word, Great Rock of my secure abode: Who is a God beside the Lord? Or where’s a refuge like our God? ‘Tis he that girds me with his might, Gives me his holy sword to wield, And while with sin and hell […]...
13. Man And The Echo Man. In a cleft that’s christened Alt Under broken stone I halt At the bottom of a pit That broad noon has never lit, And shout a secret to the stone. All that I have said and done, Now that I am old and ill, Turns into a question till I lie awake night after […]...
14. Psalm 68 part 3 v.19,9,20-22 L. M. Praise for temporal blessings; or, Common and special mercies. We bless the Lord, the just, the good, Who fills our hearts with joy and food: Who pours his blessings from the skies, And loads our days with rich supplies. He sends the sun his circuit round, To cheer the fruits, to warm […]...
15. The Simple Line The secrets of the mind convene splendidly, Though the mind is meek. To be aware inwardly Of brain and beauty Is dark too recognizable. Thought looking out on thought Makes one an eye: Which it shall be, both decide. One is with the mind alone, The other is with other thoughts gone To be seen […]...
16. Bitterness Here in February, the fine Dark branches of the almond Begin to sprout tiny clusters Of leaves, sticky to the touch. Not far off, about the length Of my morning shadow, the grass Is littered with the petals Of the plum that less than A week ago blazed, a living Candle in the hand of […]...
17. A Well-Worn Story In April, in April, My one love came along, And I ran the slope of my high hill To follow a thread of song. His eyes were hard as porphyry With looking on cruel lands; His voice went slipping over me Like terrible silver hands. Together we trod the secret lane And walked the muttering […]...
18. Father He never made a fortune, or a noise In the world where men are seeking after fame; But he had a healthy brood of girls and boys Who loved the very ground on which he trod. They thought him just little short of God; Oh you should have heard the way they said his name […]...
19. Psalm 5 For the Lord’s Day Morning. Lord, in the morning thou shalt hear My voice ascending high; To thee will I direct my prayer, To thee lift up mine eye; Up to the hills where Christ is gone To plead for all his saints, Presenting at his Father’s throne Our songs and our complaints. Thou art […]...
20. Psalm 45 part 2 Christ and his church. The King of saints, how fair his face, Adorned with majesty and grace! He comes with blessings from above, And wins the nations to his love. At his right hand our eyes behold The queen arrayed in purest gold; The world admires her heav’nly dress, Her robe of joy and righteousness. […]...
21. Psalm 22 Christ’s sufferings and exaltation. Now let our mournful songs record The dying sorrows of our Lord, When he complained in tears and blood, As one forsaken of his God. The Jews beheld him thus forlorn, And shake their heads, and laugh in scorn: “He rescued others from the grave; Now let him try himself to […]...
22. Psalm 145 part 1 v.1-7,11-13 C. M. The greatness of God. Long as I live I’ll bless thy name, My King, my God of love; My work and joy shall be the same In the bright world above. Great is the Lord, his power unknown, And let his praise be great; I’ll sing the honors of thy throne, Thy […]...
23. 1861 AARM’D year! year of the struggle! No dainty rhymes or sentimental love verses for you, terrible year! Not you as some pale poetling, seated at a desk, lisping cadenzas piano; But as a strong man, erect, clothed in blue clothes, advancing, carrying a rifle on your shoulder, With well-gristled body and sunburnt face and hands-with […]...
24. Psalm 22 part 1 v.1-16 C. M. The sufferings and death of Christ. Why has my God my soul forsook, Nor will a smile afford? (Thus David once in anguish spoke, And thus our dying Lord.) Though ’tis thy chief delight to dwell Among thy praising saints, Yet thou canst hear a groan as well, And pity our complaints. […]...
25. Psalm 67 The nation’s prosperity, and the church’s increase. Shine, mighty God, on Britain shine, With beams of heav’nly grace; Reveal thy power through all our coasts, And show thy smiling face. [Amidst our isle, exalted high, Do thou our glory stand, And, like a wall of guardian fire, Surround the fav’rite land.] When shall thy name, […]...
26. Psalm 150 v.1,2,6 C. M. A song of praise. In God’s own house pronounce his praise, His grace he there reveals; To heav’n your joy and wonder raise, For there his glory dwells. Let all your sacred passions move, While you rehearse his deeds; But the great work of saving love Your highest praise exceeds. All that […]...
27. Psalm 84 v.1-4,10, paraphrased C. M. Delight in ordinances of worship; or, God present in his churches. My soul, how lovely is the place To which thy God resorts! ‘Tis heav’n to see his smiling face, Though in his earthly courts. There the great Monarch of the skies His saving power displays, And light breaks in upon […]...
28. Psalm 23 God our shepherd. My Shepherd is the living Lord; Now shall my wants be well supplied; His providence and holy word Become my safety and my guide. In pastures where salvation grows He makes me feed, he makes me rest; There living water gently flows, And all the food’s divinely blest. My wand’ring feet his […]...
29. Psalm LXXII: Great God Great God, whose universal sway The known and unknown worlds obey, Now give the kingdom to thy Son, Extend his power, exalt his throne. The scepter well becomes his hands; All heaven submits to his commands; His justice shall avenge the poor, And pride and rage prevail no more. With power he vindicates the just, […]...
30. The Seven Sages The First. My great-grandfather spoke to Edmund Burke In Grattan’s house. The Second. My great-grandfather shared A pot-house bench with Oliver Goldsmith once. The Third. My great-grandfather’s father talked of music, Drank tar-water with the Bishop of Cloyne. The Fourth. But mine saw Stella once. The Fifth. Whence came our thought? The Sixth. From four […]...
31. Psalm 62 v.5-12 L. M. No trust in the creatures; or, Faith in Divine grace and power. My spirit looks to God alone; My rock and refuge is his throne; In all my fears, in all my straits, My soul on his salvation waits. Trust him, ye saints, in all your ways, Pour out your hearts before […]...
32. THE PAGE AND THE MILLER'S DAUGHTER PAGE. WHERE goest thou? Where? Miller’s daughter so fair! Thy name, pray? MILLER’S DAUGHTER. ‘Tis Lizzy. PAGE. Where goest thou? Where? With the rake in thy hand? MILLER’S DAUGHTER. Father’s meadows and land To visit, I’m busy. PAGE. Dost go there alone? MILLER’S DAUGHTER. By this rake, sir, ’tis shown That we’re making the hay; […]...
33. Northern Pike All right. Try this, Then. Every body I know and care for, And every body Else is going To die in a loneliness I can’t imagine and a pain I don’t know. We had To go on living. We Untangled the net, we slit The body of this fish Open from the hinge of the […]...
34. Psalm 72 part 2 Christ’s kingdom among the Gentiles. Jesus shall reign where’er the sun Does his successive journeys run; His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more. [Behold the islands with their kings, And Europe her best tribute brings; From north to south the princes meet, To pay their homage at […]...
35. The Lion For Real “Soyez muette pour moi, Idole contemplative…” I came home and found a lion in my living room Rushed out on the fire escape screaming Lion! Lion! Two stenographers pulled their brunnette hair and banged the window shut I hurried home to Patterson and stayed two days Called up old Reichian analyst Who’d kicked me out […]...
36. Psalm 119. last part Sanctified afflictions; or, Delight in the word of God. Ver. 67,59 Father, I bless thy gentle hand; How kind was thy chastising rod, That forced my conscience to a stand, And brought my wand’ring soul to God! Foolish and vain, I went astray Ere I had felt thy scourges, Lord; I left my guide, and […]...
37. Psalm 86 Thy gracious ear, O Lord, encline, O hear me I thee pray, For I am poor, and almost pine With need, and sad decay. Preserve my soul, for *I have trod Heb. I am good, loving, Thy waies, and love the just, a doer of good and Save thou thy servant O my God holy […]...
38. Psalm 102 part 2 v.13-21 C. M. Prayer heard, and Zion restored. Let Zion and her sons rejoice, Behold the promised hour; Her God hath heard her mourning voice, And comes t’ exalt his power. Her dust and ruins that remain Are precious in our eyes; Those ruins shall be built again, And all that dust shall rise. The […]...
39. Psalm 90 part 3 v.13ff C. M. Breathing after heaven. Return, O God of love, return; Earth is a tiresome place: How long shall we, thy children, mourn Our absence from thy face? Let heav’n succeed our painful years, Let sin and sorrow cease, And in proportion to our tears So make our joys increase. Thy wonders to thy […]...
40. Psalm 13 Pleading with God under desertion. How long, O Lord, shall I complain, Like one that seeks his God in vain? Canst thou thy face for ever hide, And I still pray, and be denied? Shall I for ever be forgot, As one whom thou regardest not Still shall my soul thine absence mourn, And still […]...