Faith MathenyAt first you will know not what they mean,And you may never know,And we may never tell you:—These sudden flashes in your soul,Like lambent lightning on snowy cloudsAt midnight when the moon is full.They come in solitude, or perhapsYou sit with your friend, and all at onceA silence falls on speech, and his eyesWithout a flicker glow at you:—You two have seen the secret together,He sees it in you, and you in him.And there you sit thrilling lest the MysteryStand before you and strike you deadWith a splendor like the sun’s.Be brave, all souls who have such visionsAs your body’s alive as mine is dead,You’re catching a little whiff of the etherReserved for God Himself.
At first you will know not what they mean,And you may never know,And we may never tell you:—These sudden flashes in your soul,Like lambent lightning on snowy cloudsAt midnight when the moon is full.They come in solitude, or perhapsYou sit with your friend, and all at onceA silence falls on speech, and his eyesWithout a flicker glow at you:—You two have seen the secret together,He sees it in you, and you in him.And there you sit thrilling lest the MysteryStand before you and strike you deadWith a splendor like the sun’s.Be brave, all souls who have such visionsAs your body’s alive as mine is dead,You’re catching a little whiff of the etherReserved for God Himself.