Poems of Power

Chapter 8: ASSERTION

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About This Book

A sequence of lyric poems and brief meditations that foreground the idea of an inner divine power as the source of success and happiness, exploring faith, hope, grief, love, and the moral life. The pieces move between intimate prayers and domestic scenes, public elegies and civic reflections, and philosophical dialogues about change and progress. Recurring motifs include the efficacy of thought, self-reliance, compassion, and the tension between experience and youthful expectation. Tone shifts from comforting consolation to sober realism, combining exhortation and consolation while urging courage, ethical living, and trust in the human spirit amid personal and social trials.

ASSERTION

I am serenity. Though passions beat
Like mighty billows on my helpless heart,
I know beyond them lies the perfect sweet
Serenity, which patience can impart.
And when wild tempests in my bosom rage,
“Peace, peace,” I cry, “it is my heritage.”

I am good health. Though fevers rack my brain
And rude disorders mutilate my strength,
A perfect restoration after pain,
I know shall be my recompense at length.
And so through grievous day and sleepless night,
“Health, health,” I cry, “it is my own by right.”

I am success. Though hungry, cold, ill-clad,
I wander for awhile, I smile and say,
“It is but for a time—I shall be glad
To-morrow, for good fortune comes my way.
God is my father, He has wealth untold,
His wealth is mine, health, happiness, and gold.”