Chance or Divinity

Looking out into an endless sea
Of ripples, waves, and tides,
My eyes fail to see
Much beyond the rising swell
That grows yet close
To my lonely vessel,
Swan-prowed
As the ships of elder days.
Caught in the strong west wind,
I am driven ever onward
Into that perpetual blue,
Where sky and sea meet
At horizon ambiguous.
Fog rolls over the deep,
Clouding my view
Of my silent companion,
The sun above.
In melancholy strain,
I sing a mariner's lay
And hold the course
As accurately as I may;
Yet, I know, indeed,
That my destination,
Over the restless foam,
Is yet unknown to me,
For where I first designed to go
May be many leagues now
From where my ship is going,
Led by an unknown navigator.
Though I know not his mind
Or his very identity,
I am at least content
That I do not travel alone.
It remains to be seen,
However,
Whether my companion be
Mere chance
Or Divinity.

Quote from Thoreau

May we so love as never to have occasion to repent of our love!
Henry David Thoreau

I have Thoreau Quotes on my iGoogle page, so this one popped up today. It captured my imagination. No need to here expound upon it, because I believe that Thoreau would rather have you make your own opinion than to take mine passively :)

The Speech of the King at the End of the War

A------ stands today because of many heroes, among whom I am not worthy to stand. It was not I that stood upon the brink; it was not I that gave away everything: life, strength, breath. Against the gathering tides of darkness I could not stand, but there were those who did, those who stood when we faltered. These men would not sit idly by and watch everything they love burn; they would not allow the shadow of evil to turn everything into darkness. They would rather give up their claim to the blessings of this earth than to allow it to fade like the morning fog on a clear afternoon.

In their blood has the flame of our civilization reached a new height, not simply because we now stand victorious against the greatest evil but, more importantly, because they showed us what we can be. They showed us the pinnacle of what it means to be human, to love and to fight for what we hold dear. Their stories are what our children will hear: how they stood steadfast when none else would, how they refused to give up on hope, and how they triumphed in death against the gravest of enemies.

In some ways, it is them who are saved. What greater good can any man do than to give up his life for his fellow man? Through this act of sacrifice, there can be no doubt that it will fare better for them in that great unknown beyond the last breath. As a king, and as a man, I say that such is just; I do not deserve better than them, much worse rather. For now these men are my masters.

After all, what is a living king compared to a glorified soul? A man’s true worth is not in his title, nor in his estate, nor in his lineage, but rather in the deeds of his heart and the body that is sacrificed to protect his ideals. The men who gave their lives in this fight are, thus, men of the highest caliber. None of us can stand among them; we must, for reverence’s sake, bow our heads in respect.

Long may the dead live in our hearts and legends. They deserve more than this, but what more can we give? Let us live happily in the joyous land that they have died for, and in the blessed days ahead, let us show our love for our fellow man in greater measure than ever before, with this great example before us. May the peace of A------ last until the end of all things.

Uncertainty

A thousand symbols,
A thousand words,
A thousand meanings;
Surrounded by stimuli,
A perpetual web of Color,
Light and Sound,
We face an uncertain day
With an uncertain hope.
Dawn, with its sunlight
On the deepening snow,
Yet comes,
Its light all the brighter.
The chill of winter
Cannot sap its light;
The chill of uncertainty
Cannot sap our hope.