listening to the birds

tell us that there's nothing that has no name
and we'll look for a thing that will confound
what we've been told nothing square or round
exists that we won't at once seek to tame
to our small purposes we're beings without shame
knock us and we'll hit you on the rebound
what's hidden we'll dig up and say we found
it fresh and new life's just a long long game
as far as we're concerned and what else should
we do but play it unless we want to choose
not life but emptiness and early to the grave
but that's not our bag and even if we could
give up that easily we never really seek to lose
and even the coward will claim that he is brave