in memory of one whose breath
blessed all with words wise, loving, brave;
whose life was service, and whose death
unites our hearts around her grave.
another blow has fallen, lord—
was it from thee?
is it indeed thy fiery sword
that cuts our hearts? we know thy word;
we know by heart wherein it saith
“whom the lord loves he chasteneth”—
but also, in another breath,
this: “the wages of sin is death.”
how may we tell what pain is good,
in mercy sent?
and what is evil through and through,
sure consequence of what we do,
sure product of thy broken laws,
certain effect of given cause,
just punishment?
not sin of those who suffer, lord—
to them no shame.
for father’s sins our children die
with justice sitting idly by;
the guilty thrive nor yet repent,
while sorrow strikes the innocent—
whom shall we blame?
’tis not that one alone is dead,
and these bereft.
for her, for them, we grieve indeed;
but there are other hearts that bleed!
all up and down the world so wide
we suffer, lord, on every side,—
we who are left.
see now, we bend our stricken hearts,
patient and still,
knowing thy laws are wholly just,
knowing thy love commands our trust,
knowing that good is god alone,
that pain and sorrow are our own,
and seeking out of all our pain
to struggle up to god again—
teach us thy will!
when shall we learn by common joy
broad as the sun,
by common effort, common fear,
all common life that holds us near,
and this great bitter common pain
coming again and yet again—
that we are one?
yea, one. we cannot sin apart,
suffer alone;
nor keep our goodness to ourselves
like precious things on hidden shelves.
because we each live not our best,
some one must suffer for the rest—
for we are one!
our pain is but the voice of wrong—
lord, help us hear!
teach us to see the truth at last,
to mend our future from our past,
to know thy laws and find them friends,
leading us safe to lovely ends,
thine own hand near.
not one by doing right alone
can mend the way;
but we must all do right together,—
love, help, and serve each other, whether
we joy or suffer. so at last
shall needless pain and death be past,
and we, thy children living here,
be worthy of our father dear!
god speed the day!
oh, help us, father, from this loss
to learn thy will!
so shall our lost one live again;
so shall her life not pass in vain;
so shall we show in better living—
in loving, helping, doing, giving—
that she lives still!
