If all the world were pen and ink
And all the folk were sorrow,
If all the trees were burly breeze
And Wednesdays, come tomorrow,
If all the stars were out of sight
And snow fell softly overnight,
If all we woke to morning white
Who’d lantern light the morrow?
If all the earth were beaten gold
And all the fields were fallow,
If all the bees were try-to-please
And all the mud marshmallow,
If all the children walked away
To never change from day to day
But gambolled in the autumn hay,
Who’d taper light the tallow?
29 November 1972
David Lewis Paget
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/pen-and-ink/