in what we do not see

we have no true society without grief
our tales lack substance absent honest woe
lacking true decency we claim belief

we bring our sorrows into one great sheaf
and wonder that they are not better so
we have no true society without grief

a century or two of no relief
after we've taken the hard painful blow
lacking true decency we claim belief

each angry tree has grown into full leaf
asking applause for the great summer show
we have no true society without grief

our greatest need is to be swift and brief
accepting that we never truly know
lacking true decency we claim belief

in finest sort of error choose the thief
to lead us to the place we have to go
we have no true society without grief
lacking true decency we claim belief