Psalm #1

He does not linger with scoffers
in the slow swirl,
bubbled stem of settled
bar beer, the loiterers’
golden climb.

He sweats all day, in Presence,
mumbles among his tools.

How could he be moved?
He is the original natural man,
moving in seasons built for him.
His laugh is the laugh of water.
He does not count success.
It is his fingers.

Not so the wicked, not so.
He has no self
outside of God, sees what he is
as drives, no one behind the wheel;
chaff, before too many winds.

So how shall he stand-THEN?

But God roses the path
the takers of virtue choose.
It is His heart
they walk on, carefully.
But the way of the wicked
is too wide for signposts.
It is a desolate field
and offers nothing
no one can take.

Next
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Our Most Popular Articles of 2025

The Editors

It’s been a big year for First Things. Our website was completely redesigned, and stories like the…

Our Year in Film & Television—2025

Various

First Things editors and writers share the most memorable films and TV shows they watched this year.…

Religious Freedom Is the Soul of American Security

Christopher J. Motz

In the quiet sanctuary of West Point’s Old Cadet Chapel, a striking mural crowns the apse above…