Joyce Kilmer

Chapter 42: THE THORN (For the Rev. Charles L. O’Donnell, C.S.C.)

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About This Book

A biographical memoir accompanies a wide selection of poems, essays, and letters that together trace the author’s life, friendships, and artistic growth. The poems alternate between nature and devotional themes, domestic observations, and wartime and memorial pieces composed both abroad and at home. Essays and correspondence reveal literary preferences, personal affections, and religious sensibilities, while photographs and facsimiles supplement the personal record. The collection balances lyrical short poems with occasional longer pieces and critical or biographical sketches, offering a compact portrait of a poet engaged with faith, ordinary life, and the moral and emotional stakes of his historical moment.

THE THORN
(For the Rev. Charles L. O’Donnell, C.S.C.)

The garden of God is a radiant place,

And every flower has a holy face:

Our Lady like a lily bends above the cloudy sod,

But Saint Michael is the thorn on the rose-bush of God.

David is the song upon God’s lips,

And Our Lady is the goblet that He sips:

And Gabriel’s the breath of His command,

But Saint Michael is the sword in God’s right hand.

The Ivory Tower is fair to see,

And may her walls encompass me!

But when the Devil comes with the thunder of his might,

Saint Michael, show me how to fight!