There was a man who spoke to itching ears,
To those who sought to prosper in the earth;
He said, A man should stay away from tears
And learn to keep a life of balanced mirth.
For in a life of labor one can find
A meaningful endeavor, he would say;
And play, in moderation, serves in rhyme:
For labors merit joy throughout the day.
Yet though he led his flock beneath the sun
For meaning and to leave what's more behind,
His teaching, in the end, came well undone,
When drunk upon his vanity he died.
In life, he hadn't shared an ounce of freedom;
But, in his death, he left a word of wisdom.