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hymn to breaking strain - julia ecklar & leslie fish lyrics

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the careful text-books measure – let all who build beware!
the load, the shock, the pressure material can bear
so, when the buckled girder lets down the grinding span
the blame of loss, or murder, is laid upon the man
not on the steel – the man!

but, in our daily dealing with stone and steel, we find
the gods have no such feeling of justice toward mankind
to no set gauge they make us, for no laid course prepare –
in time they overtake us with loads we cannot bear:
too merciless to bear

the prudent text-books give it in tables at the end –
the stress that shears a rivet, or makes a tie-bar bend –
what traffic wrecks macadam – what concrete should endure –
but we, poor sons of adam, have no such literature
to warn us or make sure!

we hold all earth to plunder – all time and sp-ce as well –
too wonder-stale to wonder at each new miracle;
till in the mid-illusion of godhood ‘neath our hand
falls multiple confusion on all we did or planned –
the mighty works we planned

we only in creation – how much luckier the bridge and rail! –
abide the twin-d-mnation, to fail and know we fail
yet we – by which sole token we know we once were gods –
take shame in being broken, however great the odds –
the burden or the odds

oh, veiled and secret power, whose paths we seek in vain
be with us in our hour of overthrow and pain
that we – by which sure token we know thy ways are true –
in spite of being broken, or because of being broken
rise up and build anew
stand up and build anew!

- julia ecklar leslie fish lyrics

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