Religion

When Peter Jackson Preached in the Old Church

by Vachel Lindsay 1879–1931

From The Golden Whales of California (1920)

Religion

[To be sung to the tune of the old Negro Spiritual "Every time I feel the spirit moving in my heart I'll pray."]

Peter Jackson was a-preaching
And the house was still as snow.
He whispered of repentance
And the lights were dim and low
And were almost out
When he gave the first shout:
"Arise, arise,
Cry out your eyes."
And we mourned all our terrible sins away.
Clean, clean away.
Then we marched around, around,
And sang with a wonderful sound:--
"Every time I feel the spirit moving in my heart I'll pray.
Every time I feel the spirit moving in my heart I'll pray."
And we fell by the altar
And fell by the aisle,
And found our Savior
In just a little while,
We all found Jesus at the break of the day,
We all found Jesus at the break of the day.
Blessed Jesus,
Blessed Jesus.

MLA

Lindsay, Vachel. “When Peter Jackson Preached in the Old Church.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/lindsay/186/.

Chicago

Lindsay, Vachel. “When Peter Jackson Preached in the Old Church.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/lindsay/186/.

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