Poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Life's Key

The hand that fashioned me, tuned my ear
    To chord with the major key,
In the darkest moments of life I hear
Strains of courage, and hope, and cheer
    From choirs that I cannot see.
And the music of life seems so inspired
That it will not let me grow sad or tired.

Yet through and under the major strain,
    I hear with the passing of years,
The mournful minor measure of pain,
Of souls that struggle and toil in vain
    For a goal that never nears.
And the sorrowful cadence of good gone wrong,
Breaks more and more into earth's glad song.

And oft in the dark of the night I wake
    And think of sorrowing lives,
And I long to comfort the hearts that ache,
To sweeten the cup that is bitter to take,
    And to strengthen each soul that strives.
I long to cry to them 'Do not fear,
Help is coming and aid is near.'

However desolate, weird, or strange
    Life's melody sounds to you,
Before to-morrow the air may change,
And the Great Director of music arrange
    A programme perfectly new.
And the dirge in minor may suddenly be
Turned into a jubilant song of glee. 

1. At the Boro Boedoer
2. Sonnets of Sorrow. 18. The wise ones tell me that my heart's wild clamour
3. The Beggar Cat
4. The Coming Man
5. Ye Agents

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