"Determined, Dared, and Done"

The wheels are beginning to turn, and soon I'll be flying down the interstate with all (well, most of) my worldly possessions to Jackson, MS to make a go of this grad school thing. We'll see if I can get off the ground, or if I find my wings clipped.  

Either way, the next few months are going to be exciting, and I am looking forward to sharing the changes here and seeing how they'll give me new ideas for my work. Whether or not everything works out as I envision it now, I know that things will be so much better than 'alright'.

        Photo by flagstaffotos; used with permission under the GFDL. 

  

In that line of thought, I went looking for a poem this morning, before finishing packing, and 

this is what I found: 

"Song to David" by Christopher Smart. This is just an excerpt: 

For Adoration, David's Psalms   
Lift up the heart to deeds of alms;   
    And he, who kneels and chants,    
Prevails his passions to control,   
Finds meat and medicine to the soul,   
    Which for translation pants.   
  
For Adoration, in the dome   
Of Christ, the sparrows find a home,    
    And on His olives perch:   
The swallow also dwells with thee,   
O man of God's humility,   
    Within his Saviour's church.   

Strong is the lion—like a coal   
His eyeball,—like a bastion's mole   
    His chest against the foes: 
Strong, the gier-eagle on his sail;   
Strong against tide th' enormous whale   
    Emerges as he goes.   
  
But stronger still, in earth and air,   
And in the sea, the man of prayer,
    And far beneath the tide:   
And in the seat to faith assign'd,   
Where ask is have, where seek is find,   
    Where knock is open wide.   
  
Precious the penitential tear;
And precious is the sigh sincere,   
    Acceptable to God:   
And precious are the winning flowers,   
In gladsome Israel's feast of bowers   
    Bound on the hallow'd sod.
  
Glorious the sun in mid career;   
Glorious th' assembled fires appear;   
    Glorious the comet's train:   
Glorious the trumpet and alarm;   
Glorious the Almighty's stretched-out arm; 
    Glorious th' enraptured main:   
  
Glorious the northern lights astream;   
Glorious the song, when God 's the theme;   
    Glorious the thunder's roar:   
Glorious Hosanna from the den;   
Glorious the catholic Amen;   
    Glorious the martyr's gore:   

Glorious—more glorious—is the crown   
Of Him that brought salvation down,   
    By meekness call'd thy Son:   
Thou that stupendous truth believed;—   
And now the matchless deed 's achieved,   
    Determined, dared, and done!