I stood on the streets of a busy town
Watching men tearing a building down;
With a “Ho Heave Ho” and a lusty yell,
They swung a beam and a sidewall fell.
I asked the foreman of that crew
“Are these men as skilled
As those you would hire in order to build?”
“Ah, no,” he said, “No indeed!
Just common labor is all I need.
I can tear down as much in a day with my crew
As would take skilled builders a year to do!”
Just which of these roles am I trying to play?
Have I walked life’s road with care,
Measuring each deed with rule and square?
Or am I one of those who roam the town,
Content with the labor of tearing down?