A New Thanksgiving
Original Text:
Palace-Burner: The Selected Poetry of Sarah Piatt, ed. Paula Bennett (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2001): 154.
1For war, plague, pestilence, flood, famine, fire,
2 For Christ discrowned, for false gods set on high;
3For fools, whose hands must have their hearts' desire,
4 We thank Thee .-- in the darkness .-- and so die.
5For shipwreck: Oh, the sob of strangling seas! .--
6 No matter. For the snake that charms the dove;
7And (is it not the bitterest of all these?)
8 We thank Thee .-- in our blind faith .-- even for Love.
9For breaking hearts; for all that breaks the heart;
10 For Death, the one thing after all the rest,
11We thank Thee, O our Father! Thou who art,
12 And wast, and shalt be -- knowing these are best.
Publication Notes:
Thanksgiving issue, The Independent (1910).
RPO poem Editors:
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition:
2004
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