The Bird, Let Loose in Eastern Skies

The bird

let loose in east­ern skies

When hast­en­ing fond­ly home

Ne’er stoops to earth her wing

nor flies

Where idle warb­lers roam.

But high she shoots through air and light

Above all low de­lay

Where no­thing earth­ly bounds her flight

Nor sha­dow dims her way.

So grant me

God

from ev­ery care

And stain of pass­ion free

Aloft

through vir­tue’s pur­er air

To hold my course to Thee!

No sin to cloud

no lure to stay

My soul

as home she springs—

Thy sun­shine on her joy­ful way

Thy free­dom in her wings!