Swords and Plowshares/Joy in Work
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YESTERDAY it rained with glee,
To-day the sun shines cheerily:
Growing hard, each blade of wheat
Revels in the wet and heat.
To-day the sun shines cheerily:
Growing hard, each blade of wheat
Revels in the wet and heat.
Robin builds and will not rest,
Fascinated by her nest;
Down their narrow, well-worn road
Eager ants bear load on load.
Fascinated by her nest;
Down their narrow, well-worn road
Eager ants bear load on load.
Those whom Nature doth employ
Hail each new day's work with joy.
Strange indeed that we must ask
Why man alone should hate his task.
Hail each new day's work with joy.
Strange indeed that we must ask
Why man alone should hate his task.
Should the ant and bird detest
Each his proper hill and nest,
Should the corn despise the soil,
Then men might well dislike to toil;
Each his proper hill and nest,
Should the corn despise the soil,
Then men might well dislike to toil;
As it is, while these obey
Nature in their work and play,
All contented with their lot,
Who will say why man is not?
Nature in their work and play,
All contented with their lot,
Who will say why man is not?
In her workshop Nature stands,
Busy with her artist hands,
Shaping for her own delight
Things that ravish sense and sight.
Busy with her artist hands,
Shaping for her own delight
Things that ravish sense and sight.
Forth they go, her children all;
And their happy looks recall,
As they deck the tasteful earth,
How love and joy were at their birth.
And their happy looks recall,
As they deck the tasteful earth,
How love and joy were at their birth.
We must stamp that trade-mark, too,
On each bit of work we do;
And love of all that we create
Supplant the drudgery of hate.
On each bit of work we do;
And love of all that we create
Supplant the drudgery of hate.
Use in beauty, joy in work
Pride that will not stoop to shirk,
Conscience that sustains the pride—
These let us scatter far and wide,
Pride that will not stoop to shirk,
Conscience that sustains the pride—
These let us scatter far and wide,
Till at last in fellowship
We forget the master's whip,
And join with ant and bird and corn
In hailing every work-day morn.
We forget the master's whip,
And join with ant and bird and corn
In hailing every work-day morn.