some have to stay

a thousand journeys all begin today
and every voyager's seeking the last line
no critic comes to comment on the lay
the ship and the equipment are just fine
all that was done before they hit the brine
there's something about that in this book
where every traveller is shown the hook
the journey will involve some heavy load
under which the hard earth shivered and shook
but still the voyage matters not the road

we want to see the sailors sing and sway
looking as if they'd drunk up all the wine
even before they get out of the bay
but that's because we think them merest swine
we're jealous that they've left behind the kine
we'd rather that the journey they forsook
instead of leaving us to wave and look
since of our greater sense we had long crowed
let them not us stay in the safe warm nook
but still the voyage matters not the road

the journey's one that will not take a day
they'll go far past our signal and our sign
we hope sometime the fatted calf to slay
and see them coming with the morning shine
our fates and theirs no longer seem to twine
for them the sea for us the shepherd's crook
they have the gull we have the cawing rook
and they won't know if it has rained or snowed
but still the voyage matters not the road

prince not the hunter not the humble cook
claims to regret we stayed beside the brook
we don't know if they hastened or they slowed
only the facts and they were not mistook
it's not our task to change or to unhook
but still the voyage matters not the road