Death & Dying
Prayer, In The Prospect Of Death
From Poems and Songs, 1781
O Thou unknown, Almighty Cause
Of all my hope and fear!
In whose dread presence, ere an hour,
Perhaps I must appear!
If I have wander’d in those paths
Of life I ought to shun,
As something, loudly, in my breast,
Remonstrates I have done;
Thou know’st that Thou hast formed me
With passions wild and strong;
And list’ning to their witching voice
Has often led me wrong.
Where human weakness has come short,
Or frailty stept aside,
Do Thou, All-Good—for such Thou art—
In shades of darkness hide.
Where with intention I have err’d,
No other plea I have,
But, Thou art good; and Goodness still
Delighteth to forgive.
Cite this poem
MLA
Burns, Robert. “Prayer, In The Prospect Of Death.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/burns/25/.
Chicago
Burns, Robert. “Prayer, In The Prospect Of Death.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/burns/25/.
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