MISSING -- BELIEVED KILLED: ON READING A MOTHER'S LETTER
'Twere heaven enough to fill my heart
If only one would stay,
Just one of all the million joys
God gives to take away.
If I could keep one golden dawn,
The splendour of one star,
One silver glint of yon bird's wing
That flashes from afar;
If I could keep the least of things
That make me catch my breath
To gasp with wonder at God's world
And hold it back from death,
It were enough; but death forbids.
The sunset flames to fade,
The velvet petals of this rose
Fall withered -- brown -- decayed.
She only asked to keep one thing,
The joy light in his eyes:
God has not even let her know
Where his dead body lies.
O grave, where is Thy victory?
O death, where is Thy sting?
Thy victory is ev'rywhere,
Thy sting's in ev'rything.
'Twere heaven enough to fill my heart
If only one would stay,
Just one of all the million joys
God gives to take away.
If I could keep one golden dawn,
The splendour of one star,
One silver glint of yon bird's wing
That flashes from afar;
If I could keep the least of things
That make me catch my breath
To gasp with wonder at God's world
And hold it back from death,
It were enough; but death forbids.
The sunset flames to fade,
The velvet petals of this rose
Fall withered -- brown -- decayed.
She only asked to keep one thing,
The joy light in his eyes:
God has not even let her know
Where his dead body lies.
O grave, where is Thy victory?
O death, where is Thy sting?
Thy victory is ev'rywhere,
Thy sting's in ev'rything.