Robert Burns

He felt scant need
Of church or creed,
He took small share
In saintly prayer,
His eyes found food for his love ;
He could pity poor devils condemned to hell,
But sadly neglected endeavours to dwell
With the angels in luck above :
To save one's precious peculiar soul
He never could understand is the whole
Of a mortal's business in life,
While all about him his human kin
With loving and hating and virtue and sin
Reel overmatched in the strife.
" The heavens for the heavens, and the earth for the earth !
I am a Man — I'll be true to my birth —
Man in my joys, in my pains."
So fearless, stalwart, erect and free,
He gave to his fellows right royally
His strength, his heart, his brains ;
For proud and fiery and swift and bold —
Wine of life from heart of gold,
The blood of his heathen manhood rolled
Full-billowed through his veins.