A Thanksgiving

For the wealth of path­less for­ests

Whereon no axe may fall;

For the winds that haunt the branch­es

The young bird’s ti­mid call;

For the red leaves dropped like ru­bies

Upon the dark green sod;

For the wav­ing of the for­ests

I thank Thee

O my God!

For the sound of wa­ters gush­ing

In bub­bling beads of light;

For the fleets of snow-white li­lies

Firm an­chored out of sight;

For the reeds among the ed­dies

The crys­tal on the clod;

For the flow­ing of the riv­ers

I thank Thee

O my God!

For the rose­bud’s break of beau­ty

Along the toil­er’s way;

For the vio­let’s eye that op­ens

To bless the new­born day;

For the bare twigs that in sum­mer

Bloom like the pro­phet’s rod;

For the blos­som­ing of flow­ers

I thank Thee

O my God!

For the lift­ing up of mount­ains

In bright­ness and in dread;

For the peaks where snow and sun­shine

Alone have dared to tread;

For the dark of si­lent gorg­es

Whence migh­ty ce­dars nod;

For the ma­jesty of mount­ains

I thank Thee

O my God!

For the splen­dor of the sun­sets

Vast mir­rored on the sea;

For the gold fringed clouds that cur­tain

Heaven’s in­ner mys­tery;

For the molt­en bars of twilight

Where thought leans

glad

yet awed;

For the glo­ry of the sun­sets

I thank Thee

O my God!

For the earth

and all its beau­ty

The sky

and all its light;

For the dim and sooth­ing sha­dows

That rest the daz­zled sight;

For un­fad­ing fields and prair­ies

Where sense in vain has trod;

For the world’s ex­haust­less beau­ty

I thank Thee

O my God!

For an eye of in­ward see­ing;

A soul to know and love;

For these com­mon as­pi­ra­tions

That our high heir­ship prove;

For the hearts that bless each oth­er

Beneath Thy smile

Thy rod;

For the am­ar­anth saved from Eden

I thank Thee

O my God!

For the hid­den scroll o’er­writ­ten

With one dear name ad­ored;

For the heav’n­ly in the hu­man

The Spir­it in the Word;

For the tok­ens of Thy pre­sence

Within

above

abroad;

For Thine own great gift of Be­ing

I thank Thee

O my God!