Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand by Henry Alford

Henry Alford

On the ABOUT page of my blog, I explain that my blog title If You Long For Home…is meant (in part) to reflect my eternal perspective.  This hymn by English hymn writer Henry Alford (1810-1871) is a fine description in poetic form of my eternal hope and desire.

Alford was also a scholar who studied Homer, English Poetry, and the Greek New Testament.

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Ten thousand times ten thousand in sparkling raiment bright,
The armies of the ransomed saints throng up the steeps of light;
‘Tis finished, all is finished, their fight o’er death and sin;
Fling open wide the golden gates and let the victors in.

What rush of alleluias fills all the earth and sky!
What ringing of a thousand harps bespeaks the triumph nigh!
O day, for which creation and all its tribes were made;
O joy, for all its former woes a thousand-fold repaid!

O then what raptured greetings on Canaan’s happy shore;
What knitting severed friendships up, where partings are no more!
Then eyes with joy shall sparkle, that brimmed with tears of late;
Orphans no longer fatherless, nor widows desolate.

Bring near Thy great salvation, Thou Lamb for sinners slain;
Fill up the roll of Thine elect, then take Thy power and reign;
Appear, Desire of nations, Thine exiles long for home;
Show in the heaven Thy promised sign; Thou Prince and Savior, come.

November Highway

I drive on hard and hallowed roads
until the blue sky stoops,
until my radio receives
these strong November days.

They transmit Dylan’s boot leg
release number eight.
The buzz of amplifiers rises
when he breathes.  Once, he says,

I had a pretty girl, but she did me wrong.
Now I’m marching to the city
and the road ain’t long.
I join the sacred melody;

I join everyone
who moves over these highways.
We drive and sidewalks go beside us.
We sing and signals bend to find us.

The Best Thing About Old Friends

The best thing about old friends is:
You can visit them in a cool city like
Atlanta, near a really entertaining and
educational attraction—the Aquarium.
Your old friends have been successful and
own a beautiful home with a guest
bedroom suite that has its own bathroom.
There is another room for your children!
They treat you to lunch at the Varsity
then buy your tickets to enter the Aquarium.
Later, they sit and listen while you tell your
interests and opinions. These turn out to be
many of the same things they say are their
thoughts and intentions as you listen to them.
You eat grilled tender steaks together and
decide there are many best things about
your old friends. And while you’re chewing and
sitting and listening and being
listened to, you begin to recognize a surprising
sensation you never expect to be feeling
this side of heaven. And you know that your
old friends are the best thing about them.