Psalm I (Like A Tree Rooted Beside A Stream) Poem by Isadora Quagmire

1. A blessing rests on him whose steps refrain
From paths where wicked counsels hold their sway,
Nor lingers where the sinners throng and gain,
Nor sits where others, mockers turn away.


2. But in the Lord's most pure and holy writ,
His heart finds relief, and his soul delights,
Wherein by day and through the silent night,
He ponders deep, with wisdom to commit.


3. As planted by a stream, a sturdy tree,
His fruit shall ripen when the season's due,
His verdant leaf shall never cease to be,
And all his deeds shall prosper, strong and true.


4. The godless soul, however, is not so,
But like the chaff, by every wind is tossed,
Cast to and fro, where bitter currents flow,
Their purpose rot, their substance all but lost.


5. So shall the wicked in their judgment stand,
Nor sinners in the righteous throng be found,
For God's own gaze surveys the chosen band,
While paths of evil lead to death's dark ground.


6. For He, the Lord, doth all the righteous know,
Their steadfast journey, faithful and serene,
But where the ungodly wander to and fro,
Their way shall perish, nevermore be seen.