The Labor Required

There comes a time
The working man
Pauses
To deeply breathe the
Warming air
Take a long pull
On a jug of cold water
Wipe his brow
With a worn cloth
And briefly lean
Upon his plow.

Such need is true
No matter the field of endeavor.

A husband stops
To refresh
By looking upon his wife
Breathing in her presence
Drinking in her devotion
Cooling his passion
By leaning upon the instrument
Of their union
And know the effort expended
Is worth the good of their field.

There is a time to stop
To appraise
And think
To consider
And refresh
To know
And appreciate
Not only the joy
But also the ache
And realize
It is satisfying
To be expended in the work
Of well-doing
In the knowledge there is coming
A reaping that will
Provide a rich store
For the winter to come.

He celebrates his tiredness
In realization that weariness
Is nothing less than satisfaction
In the knowledge progress
Has been made
Toward the building of concord
Between two whose love
Is worthy of the labor required
To sustain them.