From Lo! A child is born by Hugh MacDiarmid (1892-1978)

I thought of a house where the stones seemed suddenly changed

And became instinct with hope, hope as solid as themselves,

And the atmosphere warm with that lovely heat,

The warmth of tenderness and longing souls, the smiling anxiety

That rules a home where a child is about to be born.

The walls were full of ears. All voices were lowered.

Only the mother had the right to groan or complain.

Then I thought of the whole world. Who cares for its travail

And seeks to encompass it in like loving kindness and peace?

…

The full poem is available here.

The collected works of Hugh MacDiarmid are available here: