View from the choir

I am a Catholic layperson and Secular Franciscan with a sense of humor. After years in the back pew watching, I have moved into the choir. It's nice to see faces instead of the backs of heads. But I still maintain God has a sense of humor - and that we are created in God's image.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Kilmer's "There was a little maiden"


There was a little maiden
In blue and silver drest,
She sang to God in Heaven
And God within her breast.

It flooded me with pleasure,
It pierced me like a sword,
When this young maiden sang: "My soul
Doth magnify the Lord."

The stars sing all together
And hear the angels sing,
But they said they had never heard
So beautiful a thing.

Saint Mary and Saint Joseph,
And Saint Elizabeth,
Pray for us poets now
And at the hour of death.

- Joyce Kilmer

I was skimming through the revised edition of Kilmer's Anthology of Catholic Poets (with a supplement after he died), and stumbled across this one. There was something in the last stanza that resonated with me - I can't explain why (other than pretensions of being a poet).


1 Comments:

Blogger Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

What a beautiful little poem! I like the second stanza about the Magnificat, since that is one of my favorite Scripture passages ever.
Thanks for posting this, Lee!

8:47 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home