Retired thoughts enjoy their own delights, <br />As beauty doth in self-beholding eye ; <br />Man's mind a mirror is of heavenly sights, <br />A brief wherein all marvels summed lie, <br />Of fairest forms and sweetest shapes the store, <br />Most graceful all, yet thought may grace them more. <br /> <br />The mind a creature is, yet can create, <br />To nature's patterns adding higher skill ; <br />Of finest works with better could the state <br />If force of wit had equal power of will. <br />Device of man in working hath no end, <br />What thought can think, another thought can mend. <br /> <br />Man's soul of endless beauty image is, <br />Drawn by the work of endless skill and might ; <br />This skillful might gave many sparks of bliss <br />And, to discern this bliss, a native light ; <br />To frame God's image as his worths required <br />His might, his skill, his word and will conspired. <br /> <br />All that he had his image should present, <br />All that it should present it could afford, <br />To that he could afford his will was bent, <br />His will was followed with performing word. <br />Let this suffice, by this conceive the rest, <br />He should, he could, he would, he did, the best.<br /><br />Robert Southwell<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/look-home/
