Villanelle For Our Time

From bitter searching of the heart Quickened with passion and with pain We rise to play a greater part This is the faith from which we start Men shall know commonwealth again From bitter searching of the heart We loved the easy and the smart But now, with keener hand and brain We rise to play a greater part The lesser loyalties depart And neither race nor creed remain From bitter searching of the heart Not steering by the venal chart That tricked the mass for private gain We rise to play a greater part Reshaping narrow law and art Whose symbols are the millions slain From bitter searching of the heart We rise to play a greater part This is the faith from which we start: Men shall know commonwealth again From bitter searching of the heart We rise to play a greater part The lesser loyalties depart And neither race nor creed remain From bitter searching of the heart We rise to play a greater part Reshaping narrow law and art Whose symbols are the millions slain From bitter searching of the heart We rise to play a greater part This is the faith from which we start: Men shall know commonwealth again From bitter searching of the heart We rise to play a greater part This is the faith from which we start: Men shall know commonwealth again From bitter searching of the heart We rise to play a greater part Not steering by the venal chart That tricked the mass for private gain We rise, we rise to play a greater part Reshaping narrow law and art Whose symbols are the millions slain From bitter searching of the heart We rise to play a greater part