Poems (Kimball)/Easter Day

by Harriet McEwen Kimball

EASTER DAY.

DAWN of dawns, the Easter Day
 Far and wide in splendor breaks
Darkest shadows flee away
   Where it breaks!

Veiled in its vernal light,
 Christ, the Light of Light, arose;
From the grave's unbroken night
   He arose.

Though beneath the Cross He fell,
 Though upon the Cross He died,
Led He captive Death and Hell
    When He died.

Overcome, He overcame;
 Conquered, more than Conqueror lives
Crownèd King with Heaven's acclaim
   Jesus lives!

Through the gates of sacrifice
 He, the Victim, Victor went;
Lo, His triumph lights the skies
   Since He went!

Darker than the night our sin,
 Silent as the tomb our life,
Still His glory enters in—
   Light and life.

"Rise and follow Me," He saith;
 "Love as I have lovèd you.
Rise to life that I through death
   Won for you."

Love that counts not sacrifice,
 Keeping nothing back from Him,—
To such love must we arise,
   Following Him.

As He laid His garments by
 With the bondage of the grave,
Clothed in Love's own Majesty
   Left the grave,—

Self, the earth's most earthy dress,
 Must we cast aside like Him,
And putting on His righteousness
   Rise with Him.

He hath rolled the stone away
 Through Redemption's might for us,—
Dawn of dawns, the Easter Day
   Breaks for us!