Religion

God My Only Happiness

by Anne Steele 1717–1778

From The Works of Mrs. Anne Steele (Boston, 1808)

Religion

When fill'd with grief, my anxious heart
To thee, my God, complains,
Sweet pleasure mingles with the smart,
And softens all my pains.

Earth flies with all her soothing charms,
Nor I the loss deplore -r
No more, ye phantoms, mock my arms,
Nor teaze my spirit more.

I languish for superior joy
To all that earth bestows;
For pleasure which can never cloy,
Nor change, nor period knows.

Still, must the scenes of bliss remain
Conceal'd from mortal eyes?
And must my wishes rise in vain,
And never reach the skies?

My God, O could I call thee mine
Without a wav'ring fear,
This would be happiness divine,
A heav'n of pleasure here!

This joy, my wishes long to find,
To this my heart aspires,
A bliss, immortal as the mind,
And vast as its desires!

MLA

Steele, Anne. “God My Only Happiness.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/steele_anne/77/.

Chicago

Steele, Anne. “God My Only Happiness.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/steele_anne/77/.

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