1. Along the busy roads Aldwin roamed,
Where he passed, women clutched their bags tighter,
When he paused, men stared in anger,
They all thought he was a rogue looking for pockets to pick,
But Aldwin only sought a waste-yard to despoil,
And treat his belly to some stale morsels,
So on and on he walked,
He had no bearing, he had no dwelling,
The coat on his back was a-tearing,
But he smiled as he went; a smile of hope.

2. Ruth worked at the corn mill for a pittance,
She lived in a hovel with her son Peter,
And her crippled father who needed assistance,
Her husband deceased only last winter,
After a terrible disease that took a long time,
And snatched their every dime,
Ruth was left in debt with no hope of help,
Every night she wept for her plight until morning came,
Then she arose to strive for another chance to thrive,
She sang a song even as she toiled; a song of victory.

3. Sawyer was the one lawyer in town,
He had a manor, he lived in splendour,
The corn mill by the lake was his own,
He was very wealthy, he was really greedy,
Sawyer paid the millers not a fair wage,
And the men in his fields tilled for so much less,
All were pained but none complained,
Alas, they could not bring the mean lawyer to book,
He was their master after all,
Even though he was a monster; prowling, and scowling.

4. Life is unfair, it cares not how we fare,
Yet; God's blessings are ever near,
Favoured are you who has a fire to keep warm at night,
And if you are not penniless and helpless like Ruth,
Or homeless and aimless like Aldwin,
Then you have been richly gifted,
And so you must choose not to be poor like Sawyer,
For without love in his heart,
He was the poorest of them all,
But he knew it not.