Joy and Pleasure

Joy and Pleasure written by William Henry Davies

Nature Poems (1908)

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Now, Joy is born of parents poor,
  And Pleasure of our richer kind;
Though Pleasure's free, she cannot sing
  As sweet a song as Joy confined.

Pleasure's a Moth, that sleeps by day
  And dances by false glare at night;
But Joy's a Butterfly, that loves
  To spread its wings in Nature's light.

Joy's like a Bee that gently sucks
  Away on blossoms his sweet hour;
But Pleasure's like a greedy Wasp,
  That plums and cherries would devour.

Joy's like a Lark that lives alone,
  Whose ties are very strong, though few;
But Pleasure like a Cuckoo roams.
  Makes much acquaintance, no friends true.

Joy from her heart doth sing at home,
  With little care if others hear;
But Pleasure then is cold and dumb,
  And sings and laughs with strangers near.

This work is in the public domain in countries where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.