THREE DOVES
By James Jeffrey Roche
Seaward, at morn, my doves flew free;At eve they circled back to me.The first was Faith; the second, Hope;The third, the whitest, Charity.Above the plunging surges playDream-like they hovered, day by day.At last they turned, and bore to meGreen signs of peace thro’ nightfall gray,No shore forlorn, no loveliest landTheir gentle eye had left unscanned,’Mid hues of twilight-heliotropeOr daybreak fires by heaven-breath fannedQuick visions of celestial grace,—Hither they waft, from earth’s broad space,Kind thoughts for all humanity,They shine with radiance from God’s face.Ah, since my heart they choose for home,Why loose them,—forth again to roam?Yet look; they rise with loftier scopeThey wheel in flight toward Heaven’s pure dome.
Seaward, at morn, my doves flew free;At eve they circled back to me.The first was Faith; the second, Hope;The third, the whitest, Charity.Above the plunging surges playDream-like they hovered, day by day.At last they turned, and bore to meGreen signs of peace thro’ nightfall gray,No shore forlorn, no loveliest landTheir gentle eye had left unscanned,’Mid hues of twilight-heliotropeOr daybreak fires by heaven-breath fannedQuick visions of celestial grace,—Hither they waft, from earth’s broad space,Kind thoughts for all humanity,They shine with radiance from God’s face.Ah, since my heart they choose for home,Why loose them,—forth again to roam?Yet look; they rise with loftier scopeThey wheel in flight toward Heaven’s pure dome.
Seaward, at morn, my doves flew free;At eve they circled back to me.The first was Faith; the second, Hope;The third, the whitest, Charity.
Seaward, at morn, my doves flew free;
At eve they circled back to me.
The first was Faith; the second, Hope;
The third, the whitest, Charity.
Above the plunging surges playDream-like they hovered, day by day.At last they turned, and bore to meGreen signs of peace thro’ nightfall gray,
Above the plunging surges play
Dream-like they hovered, day by day.
At last they turned, and bore to me
Green signs of peace thro’ nightfall gray,
No shore forlorn, no loveliest landTheir gentle eye had left unscanned,’Mid hues of twilight-heliotropeOr daybreak fires by heaven-breath fanned
No shore forlorn, no loveliest land
Their gentle eye had left unscanned,
’Mid hues of twilight-heliotrope
Or daybreak fires by heaven-breath fanned
Quick visions of celestial grace,—Hither they waft, from earth’s broad space,Kind thoughts for all humanity,They shine with radiance from God’s face.
Quick visions of celestial grace,—
Hither they waft, from earth’s broad space,
Kind thoughts for all humanity,
They shine with radiance from God’s face.
Ah, since my heart they choose for home,Why loose them,—forth again to roam?Yet look; they rise with loftier scopeThey wheel in flight toward Heaven’s pure dome.
Ah, since my heart they choose for home,
Why loose them,—forth again to roam?
Yet look; they rise with loftier scope
They wheel in flight toward Heaven’s pure dome.
Fly, messengers that find no restSave in such toil as makes man blest!Your home is God’s immensity;We hold you but at His behest.
Fly, messengers that find no restSave in such toil as makes man blest!Your home is God’s immensity;We hold you but at His behest.
Fly, messengers that find no restSave in such toil as makes man blest!Your home is God’s immensity;We hold you but at His behest.
Fly, messengers that find no rest
Save in such toil as makes man blest!
Your home is God’s immensity;
We hold you but at His behest.