A Thanksgiving poem

I thank thee for a daily task to do,
For books that are my ships with golden wings,
For mighty gifts let others offer praise—
Lord, I am thanking thee for little things.
I thank thee, God, and like a child
Rejoice as for a Christmas gift,
That I am living—just alive—
Just for this human face I wear,
That I can see the sun, the sea,
The hills and grass and leafy trees,
And walk beneath the host of stars
And watch the lovely moon above.

—Matthias Claudius (1740–1815)