ST. PATRICK OF THE BLESSINGS.

New Zealand Tablet, 25 August 1921, Page 35

ST. PATRICK OF THE BLESSINGS.

They were the words of wisdom that Patrick said to us, Who saw him plant lus-mary* like sunshine in the bogs, Who heard him utter nothing that was calamitous To kinder things than serpents or sweeter-voiced than irogs. ~.

Love was Saint Patrick's gramarye,t as all the fairies knew And when they met his glances, unclouded was their mirth.

He blessed them in their deathless youth, the People of the Dew, , .... •:■.;•' Who pass in dance, undying, invisibly from earth. .-:"

His were the words of beauty; his were the words of peace. He went about the country in tune with-all its good. He blessed the grunting boneens§ and bade their tribe increase. ' < ■'■■•'

He blessed the croodling cushat, the quickenlf in/Sihe wood. i

He laid his fingers on the rock, and there the lichens grew Like olive velvet over it for climbing feet to press. He trod on sand 'twixt cliff and sea, and sand was fruitful too, And yielded blue sea-holly with exultant eagerness.

His were the hands of wisdom his was the heart of. love His were the eyes of healing, whose look at pain sufficed. His was the voice of sweetness that matched the lark's above, ~ * ' , v | The voice that hushed the gods of night and sang the law of Christ. » »