GERALD H. CROW

O lily Lady of loveliness, O tender-hearted, marvellous-eyed, Bend from Thine aureate throne and bless The lonely people and comfortless At Jesu-Mass and Vespertide. And bless the mighty and proud of mien, The scornful folk that pity and pass,— For they are lonely as none have been, The proud that lack on whom to lean— At Vespertide and Jesu-Mass. And bless before Thou makest end Both me and mine in sorrow and pride, Where frankincense and prayer ascend And kneeling lilies whisper and bend At Jesu-Mass and Vespertide.

Dear Father God, I want but one thing now. Because I have been heart-proud all my days, And given and asked all proudly for Love's sake, In search of some lost tenderness out of the world, And somehow never found it, I want this. I want to choose my death as I have chosen Mine other lovers proudly, and cleave to him. I do not want to die afraid and failing Some king that trusted me; nor yet to leave This beautiful bright-coloured world in anguish, Dirt, ugliness, old age, or shamefully Eaten up with lust. I want to make myself Lovelier on that last day than any of these My lovers yet have found me, and so to die Calmly by mine own hand and follow after That tenderness that somehow passed me by, That tenderness that will not let me be.

Take counsel, O my friend, of your heart's pride, And choose the proud thing alway. Never heed The "wretched, rash, intruding fools" of the world, Nor take the half-truths that life brings old men For wisdom: nor the naked indecencies That purity-mongers have shamed children with For goodness: nor the silly hypocrisies Of mean men for humility. But say, "God is my Father. Christ was young and died To comfort me. The towering archangels With all their blue and gold and steely mail Are my strong helpers and mine elder brothers. The sweet white virgins gone to martyrdom Calm-eyed and singing are my sisters." Yea, Because of all these things keep your heart proud. Be proud enough to serve the poor, too proud To attend the rich: enough to love, not hate, And give, not sell. Remember gentleness Is the heart's pride of understanding, truth Her greatness that will not be afraid for wrath Nor flatter favour. This remember also, The pure in heart shall walk like fierce white flames Questing across the world in goodlier hope And knightlier courtesy than they of the Graal, For these are they in the end that shall see God.