Sonnet: In Life, ’tis Hard

’Tis hard maintaining sanctity of spouse; ’Tis hard to keep all states in unity; ’Tis hard maintaining cleanliness of house; ’Tis hard to speak always with brevity. ’Tis hard to do all things the hard way round; ’Tis hard to be polite, honest, upright; ’Tis hard to be by good principles bound; ’Tis hard to work all year, both day and night. The ‘Spectacle of Life’ must be preserved, Without a single scratch, clean, unbroken! All things obtained must be truly deserved, Iron can rust whenev’r air can dampen. ’Tis hard to maintain balance of one’s mind; For such a man, God’s mill will surely grind. 6-12-2001