An Ode of Thanks to Joy

May 3, 2007

An Ode of Thanks To Joy

Sweet Joy, bitter spite's discontent,
Thou fruit of the Spirit, like Patience and Peace,
Thou for whom Christ his time on earth spent
Suffering... For whom he endured even the cross --

I address thee as a friend. With humility I ask
Thy Spirit to plant and bear in me all good fruits.
But my love for others is my part of the task
Of becoming holy, full of joy and gratitude.

To that end, O Idea of God, would it be amiss
To break silence to express, once, gratitude,
For the brief time spent; for the soul-to-soul kiss,
For that passing in the night that contributes

To my joy? That which we desire wells up
Within. (This is the secret which all wise men cry!)
And yet, drinking from this or that external cup
May stir the taste of internal reality.

Just so, then, Universal Joy, Angelic Light of God,
I praise thy daughter, one part of your Whole --
Her sweet Russian lips, her wit, her body
Smooth; her rich indwelling presence of soul,

Like a dancer, who knows and owns her home.
And I ask thee, Spiritual Gift, give yourself inwardly,
To your sweet daughter, even she without whom
I would not have felt thy light so thoroughly.

One last request, thou unmerited Grace:
Let the echoes of the silence which I herein break
Be rays of lovingkindness that fill the face
Of the beautiful soul that I herein thank.

Thank you, Joy, for being with me, for one
Sixty-second minute of Life's short Day,
Which, like all others, when Time's race is run,
Though redeemed in death, is now passed away.

Glory to God Alone