Oh, Lord, please strip the darkness from the night;

and dull the blade of bitter-sworded wrongs

and pulverize the teeth of terror’s bite

and mend the wounded heart with Heaven’s songs.

Scrub off despair from where the hope burnt out

and lift away a thousand pounds of loss

and clear the grey from riddled days of doubt

with whiffs of promised joy beyond the cross.

Please smooth the creases out of wadded years,

and strain the faintness from the weary way,

and curb the taste of death in lonely biers

in glimpses of Your glory day by day.

Then fashion Christ’s own beauty out of sod

as only You can do, oh grace of God.