Live in the moment – Go Camping

Camping and traveling go hand in hand. Camping is the most effective way to see the world as nature intended and as so eloquently written by William Blake.

Auguries of Innocence

BY WILLIAM BLAKE

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour

A Robin Red breast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage
A Dove house filled with Doves & Pigeons
Shudders Hell through all its regions

A dog starved at his Master’s Gate
Predicts the ruin of the State
A Horse misused upon the Road
Calls to Heaven for Human blood

Each outcry of the hunted Hare
A fibre from the Brain does tear
A Skylark wounded in the wing
A Cherubim does cease to sing

The Game Cock clipped and armed for fight
Does the Rising Sun affright
Every Wolfs & Lions howl
Raises from Hell a Human Soul

The wild deer, wandering here and there
Keeps the Human Soul from Care
The Lamb misused breeds Public Strife
And yet forgives the Butcher’s knife

The Bat that flits at close of Eve
Has left the Brain that won’t Believe
The Owl that calls upon the Night
Speaks the Unbeliever’s fright

He who shall hurt the little Wren
Shall never be beloved by Men
He who the Ox to wrath has moved
Shall never be by Woman loved

The wanton Boy that kills the Fly
Shall feel the Spiders enmity
He who torments the Chafers Sprite
Weaves a Bower in endless Night

The Catterpiller on the Leaf
Repeats to thee thy Mother’s grief
Kill not the Moth nor Butterfly
For the Last Judgment draweth nigh

He who shall train the Horse to War
Shall never pass the Polar Bar
The Beggars Dog & Widows Cat
Feed them & thou wilt grow fat

The Gnat that sings his Summer’s Song
Poison gets from Slanders tongue
The poison of the Snake and Newt
Is the sweat of Envy’s Foot

The poison of the Honey Bee
Is the Artist’s Jealousy
The Princes Robes & Beggars Rags
Are Toadstools on the Misers Bags

A Truth thats told with bad intent
Beats all the Lies you can invent
It is right it should be so
Man was made for Joy & Woe

And when this we rightly know
Through the World we safely go
Joy & Woe are woven fine
A Clothing for the soul divine

Under every grief & pine
Runs a joy with silken twine
The Babe is more than swad’ling
Bands Throughout all these Human Lands

Tools were made and Born were hands
Every Farmer Understands
Every Tear from Every Eye
Becomes a Babe in Eternity

This is caught by Females bright
And returned to its own delight
The Bleat the Bark, Bellow and Roar
Are Waves that Beat on Heavens Shore

The Babe that weeps the Rod beneath
Writes Revenge in realms of Death
The Beggar’s Rags fluttering in Air
Does to Rags the Heavens tear

The Soldier armed with Sword and Gun
Palsied strikes the Summer’s Sun
The poor Man’s Farthing is worth more
Than all the Gold on Africa’s Shore

One Mite wrung from the Labourer’s hands
Shall buy & sell the Miser’s Lands
Or if protected from on high
Does that whole Nation sell and buy

He who mocks the Infant’s Faith
Shall be mocked in Age and Death
He who shall teach the Child to Doubt
The rotting Grave shall never get out

He who respects the Infant’s faith
Triumphs over Hell & Death
The Child’s Toys and the Old Man’s Reasons
Are the Fruits of the Two seasons

The Questioner who sits so sly
Shall never know how to Reply
He who replies to words of Doubt
Doth put the Light of Knowledge out

The Strongest Poison ever known
Came from Caesars Laurel Crown
Nought can Deform the Human Race
Like to the Armour’s iron brace

When Gold and Gems adorn the Plow
To peaceful Arts shall Envy Bow
A Riddle or the Crickets Cry
Is to Doubt a fit Reply

The Emmets Inch and Eagles Mile
Make Lame Philosophy to smile
He who Doubts from what he sees
Will never Believe – do what you Please

If the Sun and Moon should Doubt
They’d immediately Go out
To be in a Passion your Good may Do
But no Good if a Passion is in you

The Whore & Gambler by the State
Licenced build that Nation’s Fate
The Harlot’s cry from Street to Street
Shall weave Old England’s winding Sheet

The Winner’s Shout the Loser’s Curse
Dance before dead England’s Hearse
Every Night & every Morn
Some to Misery are Born

Every Morn and every Night
Some are Born to sweet delight
Some are Born to sweet delight
Some are Born to Endless Night

We are led to Believe a Lie
When we see not Through the Eye
Which was Born in a Night to perish in a Night
When the Soul Slept in Beams of Light

God Appears and God is Light
To those poor Souls who dwell in Night
But does a Human Form Display
To those who Dwell in Realms of day

August 1, 2019 https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43650/auguries-of-innocence
Source: Poets of the English Language (Viking Press, 1950)