by Luis G. Dato
When in the rush for fortune and for fame,
For man’s applause that will not long abide,
I stifle soul and conscience lay aside,
The better thus to fight unarmed with shame;
When to the refuge of your shrine I came,
Distempered still with still distempered pride,
Still vowed against humility for guide,
Unwilling God my pagan soul should tame.
The calmness of your sufferance inures
From storm where others more subdued rebel,
The mien serene, the meekness that is yours
Averted fall where others stronger fell.
For your large soul that suffers and endures,
Has opened Heaven, closed the gates of Hell..
