Emily Stegman’s Reviews > The Diary of an Old Soul > Status Update

July 12 was good!

How suddenly some rapid turn of thought

May throw the life-machine all out of gear,

Clouding the windows with the steam of doubt,

Filling the eyes with dust, with noise the ear!

Who knows not then where dwells the engineer,

Rushes aghast into the pathless night,

And wanders in a land of dreary fright.

So good!

June 24

Love in the prime not yet I understand—

Scarce know the love that loveth at first hand:

Help me my selfishness to scatter and scout;

Blow on me till my love loves burningly;

Then the great love will burn the mean self out,

And I, in glorious simplicity,

Living by love, shall love unspeakably.

Today's one was SO good!

I think I shall not ever pray for such;
Thy bliss will overflood my heart and brain,
And I want no unripe things back again.
Love ever fresher, lovelier than of old—
How should it want its more exchanged for much?
Love will not backward sigh, but forward strain,
On in the tale still telling, never told.

A really good one for February 15!
Therefore I make provision, ere I begin
To do the thing thou givest me to do,
Praying,—Lord, wake me oftener, lest I sin.
Amidst my work, open thine eyes on me,
That I may wake and laugh, and know and see
Then with healed heart afresh catch up the clue,
And singing drop into my work anew.