Pain and Pleasure

What is the plane on which we measure One’s earthly pain and earthly pleasure? For some will sooner have the latter, Though pain’s what makes our pleasure matter. A thorny rose may prick a finger, But thornless roses hardly linger. To have her sacred, satin pedal God’s natural law we mustn’t meddle. Perhaps the line is like an arrow, While curved in flight, strikes straight and narrow. How can we joy in God’s great treasure Without our cries of pain and pleasure?...