Seek Not Afar for Beauty

Seek not afar for beau­ty: lo

it glows

In dew-wet grass­es all about thy feet;

In birds

in sun­shine

child­ish faces sweet

In stars and mount­ain sum­mits topped with snows.

Go not abroad for hap­pi­ness: for see

It is a flow­er bloom­ing at thy door.

Bring love and just­ice home

and then no more

Thou’lt won­der in what dwell­ing joy may be.

Dream not of no­ble serv­ice else­where wrought;

The sim­ple du­ty that awaits thy hand

Is God’s voice ut­ter­ing a di­vine com­mand

Life’s com­mon deeds build all that saints have thought.

In won­der-work­ings

or some bush aflame

Men look for God and fan­cy Him con­cealed;

But in earth’s com­mon things He stands re­vealed

While grass and flow­ers and stars spell out His name.