A Poem

They Tell me I must bruise
The rose’s leaf
Ere I can keep and use
Its fragrance brief
They tell me I must break
The sky larks heart
Ere her cage song will make
The silence start
They tell me love must bleed
And friendship weeps
Ere in my deepest need
I touch that deep
Must it always be so?
Must they be bruised and go
With beaten wings?
Ah, yes! By crushing days,
By caging nights, by
Scar of throne and stormy ways
These blessings are.
-- Dr. Jowett

Hosea 11

"When [you] were a child I loved [you]
and out of [bondage] I called [you]
but the more I called [you] the further [you] ran from me...
It was I who taught [you] how to walk,
taking [you] by the arms
but [you] did not realize it was I who healed [you]
I led [you] with cords of human kindness,
with ties of love I lifted the yoke from [your] neck
and bent down to feed [you]
Will [you] not return to [bondage]
And will not [sin] rule over [you]
because [you] have refused to repeant?...
My people are determined to turn from me...
How can I give you up?...
How can I hand you over?...
My heart is changed within me
My compassion is aroused
I will not bring out my feirce anger...
For I am God and not man-
The Holy One among you"

Hosea 11