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Apr 22, 2009 - 9 comments
When my Dad was dying from cancer, the hospice folks gave us a little booklet. At the very end was this poem. It's stuck with me even after all these months but it also eased some of the pain in my heart.
Parable of Immortality ( A ship leaves . . . )
by Henry Van Dyke - 1852 - 1933
I am standing by the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze
and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength,
and I stand and watch
until at last she hangs like a peck of white cloud
just where the sun and sky come down to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says, 'There she goes!
Gone where? Gone from my sight - that is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side
and just as able to bear her load of living freight
to the places of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says,
'There she goes! ' ,
there are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout :
'Here she comes!'
Parable of Immortality ( A ship leaves . . . )
by Henry Van Dyke - 1852 - 1933
I am standing by the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze
and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength,
and I stand and watch
until at last she hangs like a peck of white cloud
just where the sun and sky come down to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says, 'There she goes!
Gone where? Gone from my sight - that is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side
and just as able to bear her load of living freight
to the places of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says,
'There she goes! ' ,
there are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout :
'Here she comes!'
So true. Thank you for sharing.
It is beautiful Irene and so very true. Thank you
Just a beautiful way of looking at goodbyes Irene. Thank you for sharing this with us all.
That is a beautiful poem. Thanks for posting this.
How beautiful..I'm going to copy it.. Thanks so much
I love this poem. The version I've kept with me has a few additional lines at the end.
What is Dying?
I am standing on the seashore,
A ship sails in the morning breeze and starts for the ocean.
She is an object of beauty and I stand watching her
Till at last she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says:
"She is gone."
Gone! Where?
Gone from my sight that is all.
She is just as large in the masts, hull and spars as she was when I saw her
And just as able to bear her load of living freight to its destination.
The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me,
not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says,
"She is gone",
There are others who are watching her coming, and other voices take up a glad shout:
"There she comes"
- and that is dying. A horizon and just the limit of our sight.
Lift us up, Oh Lord, that we may see further.
Bishop Brent
1862 - 1926
Bless you ALL and may the Lord lift Jan up in His loving arms.
What is Dying?
I am standing on the seashore,
A ship sails in the morning breeze and starts for the ocean.
She is an object of beauty and I stand watching her
Till at last she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says:
"She is gone."
Gone! Where?
Gone from my sight that is all.
She is just as large in the masts, hull and spars as she was when I saw her
And just as able to bear her load of living freight to its destination.
The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me,
not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says,
"She is gone",
There are others who are watching her coming, and other voices take up a glad shout:
"There she comes"
- and that is dying. A horizon and just the limit of our sight.
Lift us up, Oh Lord, that we may see further.
Bishop Brent
1862 - 1926
Bless you ALL and may the Lord lift Jan up in His loving arms.
That was a beautiful poem Irene. Thank you for sharing and I am glad that it brings you comfort even now thinking of our father. Hugs, Colleen
Beautiful. Simply beautiful. Thank you, Irene.
Mary
Mary
This a wonderful poem, thank you Irene, for sharing., Love, Dawnlyn
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