I transcribed the following lines from memory on May 24, 2002.  As best I
can remember, I originally wrote them when I was fifteen, and they are
probably the first lines of poetry ever framed in my mind.  Their content
plainly illuminates my first great source of inspiration.  Before this, I
had loved Tet dearly, but my finest words to her were probably nothing
more than repetitions of the three words, "I love you," written upon
different materials at different times.  She and I were careful always
to burn every scrap of correspondence, so that nothing now remains of
all the priceless things we said.

These lines may still exist in an old Scofield Reference Bible that was
rebound and sent to my mother for me.  It had belonged to a Christian lady
for many years.  She had died, and her friend had sent it to us that the
spirit of its former owner might somehow live on in it in my hands in
far-off Indonesia.  I think Mother presented it to me on my 15th birthday.

Here, then, are my first lines:

There stand on many far-off shores
Men who have not heard thy word.

Make my heart a brave heart, Lord,
A strong heart, a good heart.
But Make my heart a humble heart, that in its depths thy spirit may dwell.

And here, from a scanned sheet re-read 8/9/2002, is what seems to be the original:

Make my heart a calm heart Lord,
a heart to understand your will.
Make my heart a great heart Lord,
that I might answer your great call.
Make my heart a brave heart Lord,
a strong heart,
a good heart.
Make my heart a humble heart,
that in its depths your spirit might dwell.