My Garden Is A Pleasant Place

My garden is a pleasant place

Of sun glory and leaf grace.

There is an ancient cherry tree

Where yellow warblers sing to me,

And an old grape arbor, where

A robin builds her nest, and there

Above the lima beans and peas

She croons her little melodies,

Her blue eggs hidden in the green

Fastness of that leafy screen.

Here are striped zinnias that bees

Fly far to visit; and sweet peas,

Like little butterflies newborn, 

And over by the tasseled corn

Are sunflowers and hollyhocks,

And pink and yellow four-o’clocks.

Here are hummingbirds that come

To seek the tall delphinium—

Songless bird and scentless flow

Communing in a golden hour.

There is no blue like the blue cup

The tall delphinium hold up,

Not sky, nor distant hill, nor sea,

Sapphire, nor lapis lazuli.

My lilac trees are old and tall;

I cannot reach their bloom at ll.

They send their perfume over trees

And roofs and streets, to find the bees.

I wish some power would touch my ear

With magic touch, and make me hear

What all the blossoms say, and so

I might know what the winged things know.

I’d hear the sunflower’s mellow pipe,

“Goldfinch, goldfinch, my seeds are ripe!”

I’d hear the pale wistaria sing,

“Moon moth, moon moth, I’m blossoming!”

I’d hear the evening primrose cry,

“Oh, firefly! come, firefly!”

And I would learn the jeweled word

The ruby-throated hummingbird

Drops into cups of larkspur blue,

And I would sing them all for you!

My garden is a pleasant place

Of moon glory and wind grace.

O friend, wherever you may be,

Will you not come to visit me?

Over fields and streams and hills,

I’ll pipe like yellow daffodils, 

And every little wind that blows

Shall take my message as it goes.

A heart may travel very far

To come where its desires are,

Oh, may some power touch my ear,

And grant me grace, and make you hear!

Louise Driscoll

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Praises to my God and King!

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Day to day pours forth speech,

And night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words;

Their voice is not heard.

Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their utterances to the end of the world.

In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;

It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

Its rising is from one end of the heavens,

And its circuit to the other end of them;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;

In keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;

Let them not rule over me;

Then I will be blameless,

And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19

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