by John Greenleaf Whittier
O dearest bloom the seasons know,
Flowers of the Resurrection blow,
Our hope and faith restore;
And through the bitterness of death
And loss and sorrow, breathe and breath
Of life forevermore!
The thought of Love Immortal blends
With fond rememberances of friends;
In you, O sacred flowers,
By human love made doubly sweet,
The heavenly and the earthly meet,
The heart of Christ is ours!