Hymn of Nature

Felicia Dorothea Hemans

O! Blest art thou whose steps may rove

Through the green paths of vale and grove

Or, leaving all their charms below,

Climb the wild mountain’s airy brow!

And gaze afar o’er cultur’d plains,And cities with their stately fanes,

And forests, that beneath thee lie,

And ocean mingling with the sky.

For man can show thee nought so fair,

As Nature’s varied marvels there;

And if thy pure and artless breast

Can feel their grandeur, thou art blest!

For thee the stream in beauty flows,

For thee the gale of summer blows;

And, in deep glen and wood-walk free,

Voices of joy still breathe for thee.

But happier far, if then thy soul

Can soar to Him who made the whole,

If to thine eye the simplest flower

Portray 

His bounty and His power:

If, in whate’er is bright or grand,

Thy mind can trace His viewless hand,

If Nature’s music bid thee raise

Thy song of gratitude and praise;

If heaven and earth with beauty fraught,

Lead to His throne thy raptured thought;

If there thou lovest His love to read;

Then, wand’rer, thou art blest indeed!

Creativity in Life

A lifelong creative who dabbled in cartooning, songwriting, and performing, Shel Silverstein is best known for his whimsical poetry for children. His writing strikes a clever balance between mischief and sincerity, often using bizarre characters as cautionary tales.In one of Silverstein’s most well-known poems, a girl named Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout refuses to take out the trash, and eventually meets “an awful fate” in the garbage she neglected. But many of his poems aren’t ominous at all, and instead turn real life on its head in delightful ways.In beloved books such as Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic, Silverstein often returned to themes of dreaming big, taking life one day at a time, and the importance of being yourself — things you don’t need to be a young reader to appreciate.

Shadow

M. J. Fraser

Fickle fibrous tendrils creepingSeeking out, no longer sleeping

They writhe and slither and work their way through

For all they've got and what they will do

Shadows dance, just out of sight

Hiding away, avoiding the light

But there they creep, for when we weep

They take hold and start to mould

A new feeling, more bold

They grip the mind and soul

Attempting to consume it whole

But breaking through a sliver of light

The shadows retreat, apparent fright

For sparks within will start to fight

To turn it round, to make things right

The spectre's gone, away from view

The sun it shines, trickling through

For now the peace holds dark at bay

But never gone, it's seeks a way

To slither through in shadows wait

The darkness or light depends on fate