I'm not a poet by any stretch of the imagination, and every attempt yields more comic relief than heart-felt script. I can't even make it past, "Roses are red and violets are blue..."  Nevertheless, I do appreciate the complexity, rhyme and deep thoughts conveyed in poetry. George Herbert, a seventeenth century British poet, is by far my favorite. Among all his writings, I find this poem most moving. It is the inspiration behind why I write, and desire to write so much more.

Secretary of Thy praise

By George Herbert (1593–1633)

O SACRED Providence, who from end to end

Strongly and sweetly movest! shall I write

And not of Thee, through whom my fingers bend

To hold my quill? shall they not do Thee right?

Of all the creatures both in sea and land

Only to man Thou hast made known Thy ways,

And put the pen alone into his hand,

And made him secretary of Thy praise.

Man is the world’s high priest: he doth present

The sacrifice for all; while they below

Unto the service mutter an assent,

Such as springs use that fall, and winds that blow.

He that to praise and laud Thee doth refrain

Doth not refrain unto himself alone,

But robs a thousand who would praise Thee fain,

And doth commit a world of sin in one.

Wherefore, most sacred Spirit, I here present

For me and all my fellows praise to Thee:

And just it is that I should pay the rent,

Because the benefit accrues to me.

Thou art in small things great, nor small in any,

Thy even praise can neither rise, nor fall.

Thou art in all things one, in each thing many:

For thou art infinite in one and all.