Tuesday, April 21, 2009


"We were two pretty babes: the youngest she,
The youngest, and the loveliest far (I ween)
And Innocence her name: the time has been
We two did love each other’s company;
Time was, we two had wept to have been apart.
But when, by show of seeming good beguiled,
I left my garb and manners of a child,
And my first love for man’s society,
Defiling with the world my virgin heart –
My loved companion dropt a tear, and fled,
And hid in deepest shades her awful head.
Beloved! Who shall tell me where thou art?
In what delicious Eden to be found?
That I may seek thee, the wide world around."
This heart moving poem about the loss of our most treasured possession, our innocence, really struck me. Once lost, we spend God's grace restoring it to but a trifle of what it once was as a child. Yes I know and I am thankful beyond words that with the blood of Christ applied we are white as snow in God's eyes, but the innocence of youth is what reminds me of the beauty of holiness; the beauty of innocence we will walk in fully one day.
I have had this photo for about two years waiting for just the right quote to accompany it. I think this is the one.
Charles Lamb - Photo of sweet innocence by rinaldo romani.

4 comments:

Mel said...

Beautiful poem Fred, worth chewing on. It calls to my mind the story of Adam and Eve. They didn't realize the preciousness of what they had until it was lost. Do any of us? But the loss inspires a hunger for an innocence and purity that, as you said, will one day be fulfilled when the Kingdom of God is fully realized. How I long for that day! Bless you!

MaryMGlynn said...

Yes and Fred I believe I know you as you and I are so much alike. You like pictures and art of people, and pictures of innocent children such as the one you just posted. Because some how those pictures grab our souls and remind us of the innocents of those days. I have a picture of a little Russian girl and it looked so much like me, Brian purchased it in an antique shop, anyway it reminded me of me as a child and it helped me heal over sexual abuse. It reminded me that God remembers my innocents and it just helped me. I find myself as well somehow missing the innocents of thinking, running, breathing, playing and imagining. That is probably why we also like books, they take us in lands we only dream of, in positions we only wish we could do and more. Its an endless adventure! It may all be connected :)

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hi Fred :)

Lovely photo matching the post.

I am not sure whether I wrote this in your post earlier.

We all come from God for a temporary sojourn in in this world. When we are young we have the divine spark in us. But as we grow older, the earth acts as our foster mother and offers us too many temptations and we lose that divine spark. I think this is William Wordsworth's idea of life on this earth. But he goes on to say that we can rediscover that spark by looking at things in their proper perspective.

Have a nice day Fred :)
Joseph

FCB said...

Hi Mel,
Definetly one to chew on, I first thought it was about siblings, then after 'tears dropt' and 'hiding in deep shade' I was completely lost but finally it began making sense.
I'm glad you liked it,
Fred


Hi Mary,
Yes, pictures do "grab our souls".
It is beyond comprehension how someone can rob a child of their innocence and abuse them and I praise God that he drew you in to His fold where you now wear a spotless white rob of purity. Bless God forever! God sees you like the Russian girl in the picture,it may well be that is why it ended up in your home?
I'm looking for the day when we all see each other in our Godly innocence.
Love Fred


Hi Joseph,
"divine spark", I like that.
I wonder what the title of that poem by Wordsworth is?
God bless,
Fred