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He Had Not Where To Lay His Head

Frances E. W. Harper

The conies had their hiding-place,
   The wily fox with stealthy tread
A covert found, but Christ, the Lord,
   Had not a place to lay his head.

The eagle had an eyrie home,
   The blithesome bird its quiet rest,
But not the humblest spot on earth
   Was by the Son of God possessed.

Princes and kings had palaces,
   With grandeur could adorn each tomb,
For Him who came with love and life,
   They had no home, they gave no room.

The hands whose touch sent thrills of joy
   Through nerves unstrung and palsied
      frame,
The feet that travelled for our need,
   Were nailed unto the cross of shame.

How dare I murmur at my lot,
   Or talk of sorrow, pain and loss,
When Christ was in a manger laid,
   And died in anguish on the cross.

That homeless one beheld beyond
   His lonely agonizing pain,
A love outflowing from His heart,
   That all the wandering world would gain.
Online text © 1998-2008 Poetry X. All rights reserved.
From Poems | The Black Heritage Library Collection, 1895
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