From bitter searching of the heart,
Quickened with passion and with pain
We rise to play a greater part.
This is the faith from which we start:
Men shall know commonwealth again
From bitter searching of the heart.
We loved the easy and the smart,
But now, with keener hand and brain,
We rise to play a greater part.The lesser loyalties depart,
And neither race nor creed remain
From bitter searching of the heart.Not steering by the venal chart
That tricked the mass for private gain,
We rise to play a greater part.
Reshaping narrow law and art
Whose symbols are the millions slain,
From bitter searching of the heart
We rise to play a greater part.
F. R. Scott (1899-1985), “Villanelle for Our Time.” Performed by Leonard Cohen
6 Trackbacks
[…] I look at the USV portfolio I see some companies that I feel have substantial purpose and potential impact that go beyond making healthy profits for their investors. I also see […]
[…] I launched oDharma – after much deliberation I found and was able to communicate a focus for my website work: Purpose. […]
[…] Leonard Cohen & F.R. Scott: on playing a greater part […]
[…] a much more elusive aspect that resides in the hearts & minds of individuals and has to do with purpose (I am convinced that the purpose of Fiskars went through many changes over the centuries, however I […]
[…] Thank you, Bryan, for this heartfelt & thoughtful manifestation of purpose. […]
[…] pursuit of purpose that took me away from a familiar world in Israel (where I’d lived most of my life) and […]