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O God of stars and sunlight,
Whose wind lifts up a bird,
In marching wave and leaf fall,
We hear Your patient word.
The color of the seasons
Goes gold across the land.
By green upon the tree tops,
We know Your moving hand.
O God of cloud and mountain,
Whose rain on rock is art,
Your plan and care and meaning
Renew the head and heart.
Your word and color spoken,
Your summer noons and showers —
By these and by Your sunshine,
We know Your world is ours.
O God of root and shading
Of boughs above our head,
We breathe in Your long breathing
Our spirit spirited.
We walk beneath Your blessing
Your seasons and Your way,
O God of stars and sunlight,
O God of this year’s day.
John Holmes (1904-1962) was a poet and professor of literature at Tufts University. While his own poetry was published in several volumes and frequently appeared in The New Yorker, Holmes’ was also a pioneer in poetry education. He brought distinguished living poets to the Tufts campus long before poetry readings and poets-in-residence became a standard feature of academia.
