Poem by George Moses Horton

False Weight

If thou art fair, deal, lady, fair,
And let the scales be even;
Forbid the poising beam to rear,
And pull thee down from heaven.

Dost thou desire to die in peace,
For ev'ry sin forgiven,
Give back my right, thy weight decrease,
And mount like mine to heaven.

Rather give over to the poor,
Take ten and give eleven;
Or else be fair, I ask no more,
'Tis all required of heaven.

And when on thee for pay I call,
Which is but four for seven,
Keep nothing back, but pay it all,
It is not hid from heaven.

Remember hence the sentence past,
The truth in scripture given,
Last shall be first, and first be last,
In time, in earth, and heaven.

1. The Powers of Love
2. On the Evening and Morning
3. The Fate of an Innocent Dog
4. Meditation on a Cold, Dark, and Rainy Night
5. The Eye of Love

Print

1216 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version