flower blooms in the garden of God.
All unexpected I happened upon
The garden gate and a glimpse of delight:
The violet sight of a cluster of grapes,
An amethyst in an emerald ring,
A purple robe on the floor of the grove.

The jewel-like garden of God is enskirt;
A thorny vine twines its writhing approach.
It seemed to me that each one of its fangs
Desired to pierce me, my hands and my side.
Black cloud came over the sky, and a cry
Within the walls, and I trembled in fear.

O the fury I saw as the lightning attacked,
As thunder fell and expended its wrath.
A hungry flame licked around the gate,
Each thorn was ablaze in a moment, and, black,
The vine that closed me out dropped down
To the earth, and I entered by the door.

Read more on A flower blooms in the garden of God…

ilence on the black towers and
Hush in the wet streets and
Blankness on the Thames;
Pain in my straining ears, ringing ears, and
Wool in the muzzled sky.
If only a voice would cry and crack the
Frozen air, or a wind moan.
The hills would shake and shudder
And earth would breathe again.

Read more on Absolute zero…

arkness over bright hills,
A great wind and deep silence
A trembling in the earth
And breathless, proud
I stand on the cliff,
Eyes open.
And fire from heaven falls:
A sound of the earth breaking,
Incandescent crash.

Some words from Richard Baxter on holiness and passion. These words were intended to encourage those suffering from melancholy (depression) who found it difficult to feel as they thought they should–rather than to castigate those who are too passionate!