Oh Lord, of late with solitary step
And bold, I climb’d your winding stair in pray’r,
But when I had most need to spill my heart
(Which hid itself within a golden cup)
And offer all my griefs that you might sup,
I found no step would bring me near your throne
And in my wrath, I dashed my offering
Upon the gentle walls and turned for home.
To my surprise, a beggar passing by
Dressed head to foot in rags and bent down low
Picked up the golden cup and soon exclaimed:
No wonder you give up your sluggish climb!
This vessel weighs the more as you ascend,
And doubly so filled with that heavy heart;
Take mine instead and try your route again.
With this he handed me a shattered cup
(Made of the lowest clay and prone to leak)
And wandered up the stair with falt’ring step.
In doubt I took and filled it to the brim,
Sure my poor heart would languish all the more,
But sudden felt how light my grief appeared;
So light, I flew, O Lord, straight to your throne,
And found at altar-side the beggar poised.
My cup! he cried, and snatched it from my hand
Before I could protest, then poured my heart
With idle glee upon the lavish stone,
But where my heart had been, pure wine came forth,
Which fumed the altar with the sweetest air,
So sweet I straight forgot my grief and bid
The beggar peace, descending light the stair.
Todd Anderson (Stuff of the Rind, Sand and Sail, The Reluctant Prophet) writes the newsletter Mirth to share a behind-the-scenes look at his writing process as well as to offer readers the first fruits of his poetry and reflections. He grew up in the forests of small-town Ontario, contending against nature in all its beauty and harshness. His training as a literary scholar of Latin and English literature inflects his love of poignant turns of phrase, but it is the influence of his family and their myriad adventures together that infuses his story-telling and poetry with its substance and power. Todd lives and writes in Ottawa with his wife and six children. If you are interested in supporting Todd’s work, please follow the links below to donate or buy his books.
