Explore "Prayer in Time of War" by Edith Nesbit on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
NOW Death is near, and very near, / In this wild whirl of horror and fear, / When round the vessel of our State / Roll the great mountain waves of hate.
God! We have but one prayer to-day- / O Father, teach us how to pray.
For prayer is strong, and very strong; / But we have turned from Thee so long / To follow gods that have no power / Save in the safe and sordid hour, / That to Thy feet we have lost the way . . .
O Father, teach us how to pray.
We have done ill, and very ill, / Set up our will against Thy will.
That our soft lives might gorge, full-fed, / We stole our brothers' daily bread.
Lord, we are sorry we went astray- / O Father, teach us how to pray.
Now in this hour of desperate strife / For England's life, her very life, / Teach us to pray that life may be / A new life, beautiful to Thee, / And in Thy hands that life to lay.
O Father, teach us how to pray.
1915.