| Nicholson & Lee, eds. The Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse. 1917. |
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| 258. Veni Creator |
| By Bliss Carman (b. 1861) |
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I
LORD of the grass and hill, | |
| Lord of the rain, | |
| White Overlord of will, | |
| Master of pain, | |
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| I who am dust and air | 5 |
| Blown through the halls of death, | |
| Like a pale ghost of prayer,— | |
| I am thy breath. | |
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| Lord of the blade and leaf, | |
| Lord of the bloom, | 10 |
| Sheer Overlord of grief, | |
| Master of doom, | |
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| Lonely as wind or snow, | |
| Through the vague world and dim, | |
| Vagrant and glad I go; | 15 |
| I am thy whim. | |
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| Lord of the storm and lull, | |
| Lord of the sea, | |
| I am thy broken gull, | |
| Blown far alee. | 20 |
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| Lord of the harvest dew, | |
| Lord of the dawn, | |
| Star of the paling blue | |
| Darkling and gone, | |
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| Lost on the mountain height | 25 |
| Where the first winds are stirred, | |
| Out of the wells of night | |
| I am thy word. | |
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| Lord of the haunted hush, | |
| Where raptures throng, | 30 |
| I am thy hermit thrush, | |
| Ending no song. | |
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| Lord of the frost and cold, | |
| Lord of the North, | |
| When the red sun grows old | 35 |
| And day goes forth, | |
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| I shall put off this girth,— | |
| Go glad and free, | |
| Earth to my mother earth, | |
| Spirit to thee. | 40 |
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II
Lord of my heart’s elation, | |
| Spirit of things unseen, | |
| Be thou my aspiration | |
| Consuming and serene! | |
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| Bear up, bear out, bear onward | 45 |
| This mortal soul alone, | |
| To selfhood or oblivion, | |
| Incredibly thine own,— | |
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| As the foamheads are loosened | |
| And blown along the sea, | 50 |
| Or sink and merge forever | |
| In that which bids them be. | |
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| I, too, must climb in wonder, | |
| Uplift at thy command,— | |
| Be one with my frail fellows | 55 |
| Beneath the wind’s strong hand, | |
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| A fleet and shadowy column | |
| Of dust or mountain rain, | |
| To walk the earth a moment | |
| And be dissolved again. | 60 |
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| Be thou my exaltation | |
| Or fortitude of mien, | |
| Lord of the world’s elation | |
| Thou breath of things unseen! | |
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