The halls on earth of heaven below
Are graced with words he did bestow
Of lilting tones and melodies sound
Of sermons and writings to be found
To him we bid a glad farewell
No more beneath with us to dwell
A voice that spoke of light and love
Resounding to us from up above
Men imprisoned in dark despair
Of hopelessness and disrepair
Heard gentle words them did persuade
In winning arguments that he made
Piercing through the sunless night
This shining ray of truth and light
Bore witness to eternal love and life
Faith for unbelief, peace amidst strife
These senseless days within we live
Man exalted, self-worship give
Religion is our great delusion
The concept of God a mere illusion
Our rational, scientific mind to laud
All Man's great glory, we self-applaud
Higher we clamber for more to know
Of towering heights, and swelling ego
Rushing and tumbling through the ages
Meaningless meaning for the sages
Lest we stop and hear the clarion call
Now heed the gospel truth, free for all!
See for yourself the goodness of reason
The beauty of truth of eternal season
Open your eyes to love and wonder
Of holiness the heart to grow fonder
Seek for the truth, it shall be found!
Knowledge and wisdom, yours abound!
Ask questions that within you burn
Precious are the things you learn
O Sacred Truth, the Christian heart
Him you have honoured and set apart
Fulfilled the holy mandate from above
Bringing to men the message of love
An instrument in your mighty hand
Tenderly held, your loving friend
Opened the eyes of many to the divine
By the inworking of your holy design
We look on the path his feet did trace
Through both immortal time and space
Remembering the faint echo of each word
Are left never unspoken nor unheard
This poem won first place for the
May 2020 poetry contest