Having Confessed

Having confessed he feels

That he should go down on his knees and pray

For forgiveness for his pride, for having

Dared to view his soul from the outside.

Lie at the heart of the emotion, time

Has its own work to do. We must not anticipate

Or awaken for a moment. God cannot catch us

Unless we stay in the unconscious room

Of our hearts. We must be nothing,

Nothing that God may make us something.

We must not touch the immortal material

We must not daydream to-morrow’s judgement—

God must be allowed to surprise us.

We have sinned, sinned like Lucifer

By this anticipation. Let us lie down again

Deep in anonymous humility and God

May find us worthy material for His hand.

~Patrick Kavanagh