My Prayer Poem by Anna Johnston MacManus

Set your love before me as a shield!
That, whistling by, the shadowy, wounding spear
Of the world's hate may seek my heart in vain,
Where on your breast it nestles–half in fear
Of the divine sweet silence round us twain–
Set your love before me as a shield!

Set your love before me as a light!
A candle tall; so shall I, weak, prevail
O'er Darkness; pass beyond all venomed things
Into the endless Dawn, gold-starred, rose-pale,
And murmurous with whirring silver wings–
Set your love before me as a light!

Set your love before me as a cloud!
A cloud of rainbow mist, where Grief discerns
The radiant face of Joy, and groweth glad:
And Joy, remembering how God's Angel turns
The Wheel of Life, hath pity for the sad–
Set your love before me as a cloud!

Set your love about me as a sea!
Encompassing–whose white and cooling wave
Brings peace–or should at times your soul desire,
To prove my spirit's fervour, then I crave
Love's baptism in deeps of strengthening fire–
Set your love about me as a sea!

Set your love upon me as a prayer!
A benison so softly breathed that none
But God and you and I the words may guess–
Whisper it down the quiet, Dearest One,
The while I reach my lips for your caress–
Set your love upon me as a prayer!