There is something rather gratifying
When a task has been laid before you
And through great effort and oftentimes great thinking
Through the meagerness of all your own mental and physical capabilities
Through the obstacles outstanding and the challenges cast upon you
You emerge the victor of the struggle to complete the said task
More than the finished product
More than the notch on the belt
The scratch off the list
What is most rewarding about it all
Is the labor itself
To simply know
'I'm responsible for this'
'And due to me (and me alone) here stands what was once merely a thought, but is now a staple of physical life'
When a plan comes to fruition
And upon its completion
Can be looked back on for years to come
Reminisced about and remembered
Reestablished from the ground floor of the mind and watched as it is erected
From foundation to finish
That is the true compensation
That is where benefit beyond the aesthetic is achieved
That is how our own self value and worth is percieved
Much as the journey is the destination
So too, the toil is the remuneration
Great poem, Mike! Indeed, satisfaction and true happiness must always come from within and should not depend on what others have to say. The world outside is generally discouraging anyway. Why depend on others? Thanks for sharing this.
Too few have found this deep seated satisfaction. I understand what you are saying on a deeply personal level. It extends beyond construction and embraces many things. Creating a garden, a poem, an invention etc. It is perhaps even more gratifying when you are trusted and given the task than just taking it upon yourself. Everyone I know that knows you says the same thing, There is no harder worker, no one more capable, trustworthy and dependable than Mike S.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Agreed. You put it into words. The work itself is the reward. I will check out Hans Raj Sharma well expressed, Mike and it's your turn at the couplet