Poems (Blake)/The Answered Prayer

by Mary Elizabeth Blake

For works with similar titles, see The Answered Prayer.

THE ANSWERED PRAYER.

I knew a pair of brave, brown eyes,
 So rich in life, so bright in glee,
That naught beneath God's radiant skies
 Was dearer than their light to me:
  Full of love and winning wild,
  Blithe and gay and undefiled,
  "Lord!" we prayed, "so keep our child!'

I knew a pair of large, dark eyes
 Soft smiling in a little face,
So sweetly sad, so gravely wise,
 So full of childhood's pensive grace
  As they drooped beneath our kiss:
  "God!" we asked, "O grant him this,
  Joy and peace and purest bliss!"

I knew a pair of clear blue eyes
 So lately from the angels riven,
The light they brought from Paradise
 Still lent a gleam to earth of heaven:
  "Father!" cried we, "keep afar
  Through life's battle stain and scar,
  Grief to cloud, or sin to mar."
······
This did we ask, as day's fair dawn
 Crept smiling from the night's dark breast,
And this, when shadowy eve had drawn
 Its darkling vail across the west:
  He to whom the prayer had flown
  Answered, bending from His throne,
  Not in our way, but His own!

   Brave, brown eyes will never know
   Shade of sin, or tear of woe;
   Soft, dark eyes will gladly shine,
   Full of light of love divine;
   Sweet, blue eyes with angel smile
   Hail the heaven they left awhile.
   "For sweeping through the silence dim,

The while we stood with reverent breath,
 God's angels took them up to Him,
Beyond the gates of sin and death!
 God, who holds our darlings there,
  Teach our weak, weak hearts to bear
  This, Thy answer to our prayer!