Leslie Fish - Hymn to breaking strain

^EmThe careful text-books meas^Gure - Le^At all who bui^Cld beware! ^EmThe load, the shock, th^Ge pressur^Ae material ca^Cn bear: ^EmSo, when the buckl^Amed girder l^Cets do^Dwn the^Em grinding span ^EmThe blame of loss,^Am or murder,^C is la^Did upo^Emn the man ^CNot on the St^Deel - th^Eme Man!

^EmBut, in our daily dealing w^Gith ston^Ae and steel, ^Cwe find ^EmThe Gods have no such feeli^Gng of ju^Astice toward ^Cmankind ^EmTo no set gauge th^Amey make us,^C for n^Do laid^Em course prepare ^EmIn time they overt^Amake us with^C loads^D we ca^Emnnot bear: ^CToo merciless^D to bear^Em

^EmThe prudent text-books give^G it in t^Aables at the ^Cend ^EmThe stress that shears a ri^Gvet, or ^Amakes a tie-b^Car bend ^EmWhat traffic wreck^Ams macadam -^C what ^Dconcre^Emte should endure ^EmBut we, poor Sons ^Amof Adam, ha^Cve no ^Dsuch l^Emiterature ^CTo warn us or^D make su^Emre!

^EmWe hold all Earth to plunde^Gr - all ^ATime and Spac^Ce as well ^EmToo wonder-stale to wonder ^Gat each ^Anew miracle ^{C Em}Till in the mid-il^Amlusion of G^Codhood^D 'neat^Emh our hand ^EmFalls multiple con^Amfusion on a^Cll we ^Ddid or^Em planned ^CThe mighty wo^Drks we p^Emlanned

^EmWe only in Creation - how m^Guch luck^Aier the bridg^Ce and rail! ^EmAbide the twin damnation: t^Go fail a^And know we fa^Cil ^EmYet we - by which ^Amsole token ^Cwe kno^Dw we o^Emnce were Gods ^EmTake shame in bein^Amg broken, h^Cowever^D great^Em the odds ^CThe Burden or^D the Odd^Ems

^EmOh, veiled and secret Power^G, whose ^Apaths we seek^C in vain ^EmBe with us in our hour of o^Gverthrow^A and pain ^{C Em}That we - by which^Am sure token^C we kn^Dow Thy^Em ways are true ^EmIn spite of being ^Ambroken, or ^Embecause of being ^Ambroken ^CRise up and b^Duild ane^Emw ^CStand up and ^Dbuild an^Emew!