Данске Дэндридж (Danske Dandridge)

Wings

Shall we know in the Hereafter
All the reasons that are hid?
Does the butterfly remember
What the caterpillar did?
How he waited, toiled, and suffered
To become the chrysalid.
           
When we creep so slowly upward;
When each day new burden brings;
When we strive so hard to conquer
Vexing sublunary things--
When we wait and toil and suffer,
We are working for our wings.