Sunday, July 3, 2011

As Kingfishers Catch Fire, Dragonflies Draw Flame











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.
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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

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2 comments:

Lynn said...

Brilliant poet. My favorite line of his is "Glory be to God for dappled things..."

Francis Shivone said...

Yes he is. The opening line of this poem displays a talent beyond my imagining.