A Peal of Psalms (Psalms 17-9)

The nine psalms that follow form the text of a children’s picture book, "A Peal of Psalms."
(Note: The bookend lily photos are simply placeholders. This little book is looking for an illustrator.)

Psalm 17 (an acrostic)

i
Love the Lord;
~~O, love the Lord of Love.
Verily, love the Lord, the very Lord;
~~Even love to love the Lord.

Psalm 16

ii
When my Lord makes the morning,
~~When He spreads awakening around the earth,
When His light traces valleys with flowers like lady’s lace,
~~And His rays bring forth buds of baby’s breath,
Then He opens my eyes to see;
~~He lifts my sight to know the world is new and ready.
When my Lord retakes the night,
~~When He bears the heavens back from kingdoms of princely dreams,
When He turns the sky of sparkling wishes into daylight seas of starry fish,
~~And He restores buried dreamland treasures to golden fields, to monarchs of the butterflies,
Then He raises my head to praise;
~~He places in my hands His will, His work, His ways.

Psalm 15

iii
In trust, I am a cheetah: my feet are fast to trust, and first.
~~For my speed, my faith is in the Lord.
In trust, I have a raptor’s eyes: I see the smallest thing as I move in.
~~For my sight, my focus is the Lord.
In trust, I send the blue whale’s song: my moan moves low and long around the ocean.
~~For my loud call, I know the Lord is sound.
In truth, I am a child: I am the most ferocious beast in trust.
~~For my command of running land and flying sky and swimming sea, I trust the Source of speed and sight and sound; in truth, my fierce and fervent trust is in the Lord.

Psalm 14

iv
As the seasons guide the migrating birds, O Lord,
~~So guide me in the ways of Your Covenant.

Psalm 13

v
Blessed is the true seeker, the wayfarer of the hopeful heart, who moves in silent step,
~~Not like a beast that stamps its sodden sign.
The true seeker presses toward the voice of the Beloved the way a ram leaps through mountain mist,
~~But the heedless hides his heart behind him like a promise broken, a friend forgotten, bread unshared.
The selfish, busy piling earthly things which must, in time, turn and tumble, can never be like the true seeker;
~~The sojourner lives as simply as a useful herb that gives its shoots and roots, its leaves, flowers, and seeded fruit.
The wanderer is more at home than kings in palaces because he understands the poor,
~~And his reward is his Beloved’s Word.
Blessed is the true seeker,
~~Whose search for truth is graced.

Psalm 12

vi
Make a firm rock, sisters and brothers;
~~Make a foundation stone on the corners of your clasped hands.
In the mountain of God, the rock is found;
~~From Sinai and Seir and Paran, on tablets and scriptures and scrolls, the rock of His Book is founded.
Seven Shepherds call seven folds to the rising hills—the spring lambs are strong—the strong flocks spring through the Gate as one;
~~Seven Shepherds rise from the folding hills.
Look to the holy books, brothers and sisters;
~~Look to the sacred verses for the Spirit of Truth, listen to the psalms of your unfolding voices.

Psalm 11

vii
Who is this Spirit of Truth?
~~The Lord of hosts, entering through the everlasting Door.
Lift up your head, Carmel:
~~In His hand, His beauty, ancient as a day lily; in the other, His order, the New Jerusalem.
Who is this Spirit of Truth?
~~The King of glory, Bahá’u’lláh. Selah.

Psalm 10

viii
Bring heaven to earth with a new song;
~~Sing the promised day of days.
Praise the Lord with strings to strum and roll the drum;
~~His words once hidden now are open.
Start the circle heart by heart and dance on land and island;
~~Let the line be long, for all belong.
Gather father, great grandfather, woman, man; every human race embrace:
~~Children, childlike, earth and heaven, sing a new song.

Psalm 9

ix
I will attend Your paradise garden, my Adored One;
~~I will tend to Your ambrosia, Your begonia, Your chrysanthemum.
I will cultivate Your lifting daffodil, O my Desire;
~~I will care for Your echinacea, Your forsythia, Your geranium.
I will guard Your swaying hydrangea, O Happiness;
~~I will safeguard Your iris, Your jasmine, Your kokam tree.
I will keep Your bobbing lobelia, O Life’s Delight;
~~I will be kind to Your magnolia, Your nasturtium, Your orchid.
I will oversee Your opening petunia, my own Protector;
~~And I will honor by the hour Your quassia, Your rhododendron, Your salvia.
I will see to Your lilting trillium, O Transcendent Lord;
~~I will serve Your urticaceae, Your viscaria,Your wisteria.
I will watch Your stretching xeranthemum, O Excellence;
~~I will work in Your yellow yarrow, Your blazing zinnia, Your ever-flowering fields.

A Peal of Psalms

Psalms 17 - 9: The nine psalms above form the text of a children's picture book called "A Peal of Psalms." The lily photos are simply placeholders used as bookends. This little book is looking for an illustrator.

Psalm 8

Gather the believers, a devotion of temple voices;
~~Assemble the faithful, a table of His humble.
Summon His wonder, a oneness of witnesses:
~~Seed of Abraham, flower of brotherhood, harvest of prophets, fruit ripened on a perfect tree.

Psalm 7

Increase my faith in gaining peace, O Lord,
the way You granted man his ancient wish for wings;
~~Advance the ancient hope for peace, even to the limbs of man,
the way You gave compassion to the hand of power, might to the meek,
promise to the lion and the lamb.