This Body of Mine

THIS BODY OF MINE Woe upon woes offing To my creator I owe a debt After this voyage of mine on earth And I, to this burden of death endureth. Woe upon this body of mine ‘Tis a stinking sand This dust return; my soul demand The thorns of life chokes, my spirit rebrand. What fate has this body, but dust...? For all this attention to beauty is vanity But beauty of eternity neither fades nor bust Below this earth the frame of man will suffer rust. Oh man prepare your bed with fear To your crown of joy be bold to hold Lean on your master; his precept adhere Then your tomb of fear will he turn to care. What then shall we say is life? With all man's ego and pride We often ask, “do you know who I am?" Why boast when your breath you cannot boost? On earth we gather all the perishable fortunes, They transcend not but here it ends. To this end, man reflect and learn That this body, an impending meal To maggot a perfect feast Be not proud with title too, For all is vanity without excuse.