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