Poems (Kimball)/When I Awake

by Harriet McEwen Kimball

WHEN I AWAKE.

Ps. xvii. 15.

WHEN I awake shall I Thine image bear,
    O Thou Adored?
The image lost, in some pure Otherwhere
    Oh, shall it be restored?
Already stealeth o'er my trembling soul
    Some semblance sweet,—
The wavering outline of the perfect whole
    Thy Touch shall yet complete?

When I awake shall I indeed cast by
    All earthly taint,
And walk with Thee in white, Thy white, on high,
    As seraph walks and saint?
Through endless, blessed ages shall I know
    Thy Will alone;
Its all-pervading, perfect motions grow
    More than mine own mine own?

The glories that no vision can forestall
    With crystal gleam;
The peace, the rapture, and the holy thrall
    Of Love that reigns supreme;
The death of all that meaneth self and time;
    The gain of Thee,
My Lord, my God! the victory sublime
    When only Thou shalt be,—

Thou, all in all,—all in Thy fulness lost,
    And all, all found
Dear beyond price, no aspiration crossed;
    Thou, only Thou our bound;—
Shall I behold, receive, possess, attain
    All this and more
To tell whereof all tongues would strive in vain,
    In vain all language pour?

Shall the Great Vision that transcends our dreams
    At last unfold?
Thy Face, Thy Glory whence all glory streams
    Shall I indeed behold
When I awake? Oh can it ever be,
    All joys beside,
That I shall gaze and gaze, my God, on Thee?
    I shall be satisfied.