Carol, this:

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea,
The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

Was quoted by this man:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Wolfe

here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plains_of_Abraham

Thus consummating the creation of this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire

And it really doesn't matter a bit what every man you know thinks about it.

Rolley, I've enjoyed your humor, your poetry, and your fascinating prose style for over a year. But this poem almost did me in! What a beautiful way to put it! And I find it exceptional that it was written by a man! No, I'm not a sexist, but every man I know would be utterly embarrassed to have to read what you wrote, much less think of it themselves and commit it to paper!

So, thank you for sharing. I'm going to print it out and put it in my Bible!

.
It’s not as if He merely *says* He loves us. He has proven, in the most graphic manner conceivable, that we are, indeed, His

“Beloved”

Beloved, how can you be troubled now
This final hour of unfriendly night,
When Christ has pledged, as with a marriage vow,
To take you to His house of cheery light?
If lavishly He spilled the bottled wine
To celebrate your love; if eagerly
He slipped into the thorny ring as sign
And seal of purest sworn fidelity;
If joyously He cast the veil aside
To steal the honeyed kisses of the mouth
That named Him as her love and she His bride,
How can you suffer any foolish doubt
That He shall shortly take you home as wife
Whose worth to Him He measured with His life?

© Rolley Haggard, 2011

He who created romance and marriage – does He have our best interests at heart? Does He care about our longings and hopes? Christian, look at His cross again and ask, “can He be trusted?” The answer is “hidden in the obvious.”

:)