The Lovely Flowers of Sensennae

Of beauty he hid the ancestral homes of darkness

In places robbed of stairs the captured host

That lost of time and through every age of hope

The fragile few have their broken fortunes spoken

Can he judge through the dark cloud

How can he know that through darkness discerned

Yet all the lovely flowers of Sensennae would die glad

If they took for loss a glory gladly won

By perfect counsel love through light revealed

Strength in weakness written in threads of black

So that loosed above each dove untied of lies

Went hurtling at the speed of light through Sky

Unveiling rapture long hid in mystery’s grasp

Sent in time’s fullness filled the earth

That those which in darkness sat have light:

Finding where their little foxes left their spirit met

Made one where their battle fought was true

They won by that which before seemed backward

Yet forward turned the hard thing found a treasure:

Safe their rejoicing if found in themselves alone

When cast their pride they lost their former flowers 

Free of every hindering thing they flew

On silver wings each single dove renewed

In altared orbit free to fly wherever love took them

Shed with joy the lovely flowers of Sensennae

Their outer glories gladly lost for what will last

The brightest they had did fade away to nothing

When by endless life with love’s truth compared

     

Precious the more hidden joys within them

Through thorn and briar the new would come

In drops of red did love’s hurt shine full through

To burn in them the flower that never fades 

Of love-lies-bleeding bloom all our borders

Of everlasting gems are built our walls

Black gates flung open to dawn’s crimson splendour:

All the lovely flowers of Sensennae seen no more!

   

(Song of Solomon 2:15)