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The surface texture of the poem is at once clear and graceful. The simplicity of the diction might be called transparent. It is only when we begin to follow the movement of thought through the poem that we become aware of its subtle spiritual complexity.

The poem is constructed on two pivotal actions: to serve and to love. Service the subjective speaking voice renders to his "Maker-Lord"; love he offers to his "Beloved Friend." The capitalisation of these nouns enables us to identify them as epithets of God. The, compound "Maker-Lord" reveals the aspect of a father figure-grand, majestic, authoritative, somewhat aloof. The poet responds to this aspect with dutiful obedience. The second aspect is of a "Beloved Friend"-close, personal, equal. The poet responds to this aspect as one child would to another, with loving playfulness.

The challenge of the poem lies in reconciling these two aspects of God in a continuous vision. It is a vision which, when finally grasped, explodes upon our understanding: the soul takes birth with a single mission-to serve the Creator through the creation. On earth, the soul experiences a single desire to love the creation through the Creator. It is here on earth that the soul feels the breath of its Beloved Friend in everything, and so begins the game of hide-and-seek, the game of the seeker and the Sought, the lover and the Beloved, which encircles the world in its "oneness-play." The poet achieves his result by holding before our vision four different roles-Maker, Lord, Beloved, Friend and pairing them to clarify two major aspects of God.

A similar use of the compound noun to indicate a development in man's comprehension of God may be observed in "A Time for Everything":

Morning is the time
For my loving heart
To feed my child-God.

Evening is the time
For my loving heart
        To dance with my Beloved-God.

Night is the time
For my loving heart
        To confide in my partner-God.[49]