Singing the Living Tradition ‎#343

343. A Firemist and a Planet

1 A firemist and a planet,
a crystal and a cell,
a starfish and a saurian,
and caves where ancients dwelt;
the sense of law and beauty,
a face turned from the sod —
some call it evolution,
and others call it God.

2 Haze on the far horizon,
the infinite tender sky,
the ripe, rich tints of cornfields,
and wild geese sailing high;
and over high and lowland,
the charm of goldenrod —
some people call it autumn,
and others call it God.

3 Like tides on crescent sea-beach,
when moon’s so new and thin,
into our hearts high yearnings
come welling, surging in,
come from the mystic ocean
whose rim no foot has trod —
some people call it longing,
and others call it God.

4 A sentry lone and frozen,
a mother starved for her brood,
and Socrates’ dread hemlock,
and Jesus on the rood;
and millions, who, though nameless,
the straight, hard pathway trod —
some call it consecration,
and others call it God.

Text Information

• First Line: A firemist and a planet
• Title: A Firemist and a Planet
• Author: William Herbert Carruth, 1859-1924
• Meter: 7.6.7.6.D.
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1993
• Topic: Humanist Teachings: Insight and Wisdom; Autumn and Harvest; Commitment; Evolution; God, Goddess, and Spirit; Jesus; Spirituality and Spiritual Growth

Tune Information

• Name: NEW ENGLAND
• Meter: 7.6.7.6.D.
• Key: F Major or modal
• Source: New England folk melody