I shared the poem/hymn I wrote in my last post on a couple of different Facebook groups, to largely positive responses. More than one person asked if it had been set to music. Then, both my Mum and my sister, who look at these posts when I share them to Facebook, as I often do, pointed out that as written the words fitted rather well to the tune of Ode to Joy.
With this in mind I went and expanded and reworked them somewhat. I now present the completed work here as my attempt to break into the (I assume) highly lucrative hymn-writing industry:
Make Me Kind
When the day is never-ending,
And I’m tired in soul and mind,
When my whole body’s aching,
Make me kind, Lord. Make me kind.
Though the world seems unrelenting,
And I find myself resigned,
To the constant heavy burden,
Make me kind, Lord. Make me kind.
When I see the world’s injustice,
And I feel the chains that bind,
Though I’m weary from the struggle,
Make me kind, Lord. Make me kind.
Should another try to harm me,
And their lies about me wind,
As I’m battered and I’m bettered,
Make me kind, Lord. Make me kind.
When debating with another,
And our views are misaligned,
Even when they strongly differ,
Make me kind, Lord. Make me kind.
When a person’s slinging insults,
And I feel myself maligned,
Where they’re hateful and they’re hurtful,
Make me kind, Lord. Make me kind.
When I walk along with others,
And our lives are thus entwined,
Even if it’s only briefly,
Make me kind, Lord. Make me kind.
As we meet with many hurdles,
And we stagger, lost and blind,
When the journey's at its hardest,
Make me kind, Lord. Make me kind.
Out of all the earthly virtues,
Let me keep this one enshrined.
In my doing and my saying,
Make me kind, Lord. Make me kind.
While my faith keeps on sustaining,
And my hope goes unconfined,
Still above them and beyond them,
Make me kind, Lord. Make me kind.
When my life is filled with gladness,
And the joys I’d lost, I find,
When all things to me are given,
Make me kind, Lord. Make me kind.
When I lay aside my burdens,
As I leave this world behind,
And at last, I stand before You,
Let them say that I was kind.
Copyright Thomas Jones, 2022
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