Vivian Waite

I come to visit you each day, My dear and quiet friend, To watch you dance and play At the day’s gloriously golden end, And to watch the tall, dark rushes Bend

Lord, I have failed again; My striving is in vain. My thoughts turn dark; My soul yearns in wretched lust Toward deeds sinful and vile! Ah, Lord, there’s nothing I deserve but

There is my drawing desk Marked up, but bare; And there, my pink dresser With closed, empty drawers; There is my horsey That I would ride upon Standing alone by the wall. And

A sheet of silver lace Spreads across the glass, But in the gaze of sunlight Its loveliness will pass. The morning bed of pearls, Each sheathed in a shell of green, By high

No one knows That my laughter holds A silent scream, And my smile hides An aching heart. No one sees Beyond the facial mask: The bright eyes, The rows of white teeth, The

I went to find a sea of gold, A sea of gold, of shining gold, A sea of the purest, finest gold Beneath a sheet of glass. I traveled over seven hills That

There, mountains rise, Clothed in pine trees, Veiled in wisps of cloud or shadows, Or bathed in morning light; Rolling hills are bare with fields And capped with trees; The morning dew smokes

In the other world, I can sense when trouble is at hand And resolve each problem that I meet. In that world, I can heal injustices And counsel lost souls with prudent voice.

Lord! The battle goes on, And the end is far from near; Duty is harsh, and pleasures are dear! The days are so dark that the night’s a relief. Please, hear me,

The stories of my mind are like Growing darkness, bursting light, Flitting shadows, rumored wars, Soaring clouds, and plunging stars.   Battle raging in my mind, What will I do with you? You take

Ancient as the knotted oak, He is the wisest of all his folk— White his coat and beard and tail; Keen eyes glowing without fail. His memory is deep; his knowledge, vast; His

Another semester of classes, And homework to the heavens: Another several months Of lectures and dining hall crowds;   Speed-reading and study; scribbles Of notes on this and that; Headaches and braindead moments When

See the fire blazing In the hearth—so amazing! Hear the branches cracking, Popping and snapping; Watch the flames dancing, Wildly enhancing, Bending, twisting, turning, While their dancing floor is burning! Feel heat

Without asking for thanks, he works In his quiet, humble way. Without a murmur, he endures The burdens of the day. Without a thought for his own wants, He gives to those in

I was a common person, A droplet in a cloud; God called me for a sunbeam, But I did not stand out. I could have helped that person; I could have said that

O God of earth and sea and sky, You stay the same all of the time; O Lord upon a timeless throne, You reign supreme; You reign alone: Help me in these shifting