I’ll Feed on Husks No More

O’er squan­dered wealth and wast­ed years

In sin and fol­ly past

A wretch­ed

starv­ing pro­di­gal

Awoke to mourn at last.

He press­ed his wea­ry

throb­bing brow

And through his tears he said

I spurned the home I might have shared

And now I starve for bread.

I will arise and go at once

My Fa­ther’s love im­plore

Confess my wrong

His par­don seek

And feed on husks no more.

Forsaken

friend­less

clothed in rags

And poor as poor can be

To low­est me­ni­al serv­ice brought

A ty­rant’s slave was he;

He turned dis­gust­ed from the swine

That he so long had fed;

I can not from my Fa­ther stay

With firm re­solve he said.

I thought the world was what I dreamed

My heart ob­eyed its call;

But now I find its fleet­ing joys

Are worm­wood af­ter all.

Be warned

oh gay and thought­less ones

That to the whirl­wind sow

Let’s hast­en back to Fa­ther now

He’s com­ing; let us go.