The Great Orchestra of Livelihood

 If COVID-19 has shown us anything it's that we all have a vital part 

to 'play' in the Great Orchestra of Livelihood!

We all need a bit o' bread to eat and a little nest to sleep in!

It struck me as the farmer waved as he rolled by on his tractor,

as the 'mess' behind the house gaped at me as I hung out laundry...

...waiting for the plumber to get the proper permits to proceed

as campers roll by on the first July weekend

as campgrounds depend on patrons

as does every other business,

that we all need each other!

 Surely we are all essential to someone!

Some of my instruments come from the garden today!

Oh, what sweet music medley (aka salads) waits to be made!

Thank-you God (and very hard-working truck-driving husband)

Always like to go to some extra pains pleasure, for Saturday night supper

for Jim after mostly lunch-box menus all week.

Through a mist-kissed colour-flue

Orange-emerald-purple-blue

Pink, magenta, yellow, red

Tolls the quest for daily bread

Rolls the wheels of cars and trucks

All to earn a couple bucks

To address the need, the like

Susie’s braces, Tommy’s trike

Dreams to fill and bills to pay

Banker versus holiday

Some days bad and others good

In the quest of livelihood

Don the duds to fight the fight

All heroes in our own right

Banker, trucker, farmer, nurse

Reap the fruit of Adam’s curse

Picker, painter, poet, ah

All part of its purposed law

Wielder of hammer or trowel

Spatula, shovel, tea-towel

Florist, dentist,baker, cook

Author of best-seller book

Bard and bloke part of the brood

Yoked with quest for livelihood

Seller, buyer, shy or bold

Doctor, lawyer, young or old

Astronaut or engineer

Pilot, pastor, puppeteer

All share in a common quest

Bread to eat and little nest

Garbage collectors and those

Who cut our hair and groom our toes

Who sweep the streets, who drives the cab

Who polices those who would nab

That earned by other’s sweat and blood

All in the quest for livelihood

Meat-packers, mechanics too

All with vital work to do

Caregivers, delivery boys

For our tradesmen, make some noise

Librarians, grocers, oh

By the grace of God we go

Big or small, all a part of

Living’s leap of eat-sleep-love

Then, if you have a bit of bread

Remember to bow your head

And thank God, from man's curse He wooed

The Orchestra of livelihood

© Janet Martin