climbing ever higher

the world we have will never give us time
to do our work and find proper repose
we always have some new-made pump to prime
doors we must open and the windows close
good things support and all evils oppose
and this has never been a passing phase
we hit the target straight upon the nose
for what we know are the superior ways

what's foolish will one day become sublime
the vein of gold calm efforts will expose
and diamond glitter appears under grime
the orchard trees are blooming in their rows
and year by year each knows just how it goes
we find ourselves approaching the next craze
but not a conflict here will come to blows
for what we know are the superior ways

only the fools don't see beneath the slime
to plant that in due course becomes a rose
we say the clearest things in subtle rhyme
but they're not clearer in the plainest prose
the one who comments rarely ever knows
the likely outcome of the working days
still they'll still say their pieces we suppose
for what we know are the superior ways

prince you have seen such things in many shows
but know that every ending's a true blaze
the last one gets to tell us how it goes
for what we know are the superior ways