Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Christ plays in ten thousand places (Gerard Manley Hopkins)

  As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame; 
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells 
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s 
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name; 
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same: 
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells; 
Selves – goes itself; myself  it speaks and spells, 
Crying What I do is me: for that I came. 
                        
I say more:  the just man justices; 
Keeps grace:  that keeps all his goings graces; 
Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is – 
Christ – for Christ plays in ten thousand places, 
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his 
To the Father through the features of men’s faces. 

--Gerard Manley Hopkins, As Kingfishers Catch Fire

Image source
Poem source

No comments:

Post a Comment