All the world’s a garden, God has made it fair,
Living trees and flowers, He has planted there,
Rain and sunshine giving; all His goodness prove;
There is nothing living, but has felt His love.
Every home’s a garden; clustering side by side,
Each to other yielding; flowerets should abide.
Words or thoughts of anger ne’er should enter there;
Buds of loving kindness opening everywhere.
Every school’s a garden, hedged and fenced around;
Nothing vile or useless should within be found.
Teachers are the gardeners, sowing precious seed,
Training up the flowers, plucking every weed.
Every heart’s a garden; it should bring forth fruit;
But foul weeds and briars in its soil have root.
Envy, wrath and hatred, malice, strife and pride,
Lies and disobedience—many more beside.
Cast them out, I pray, Lord, and supply in place,
Gentleness and goodness, lovely plants of grace;
Patience and long-suffering, faith and hope and love—
These will bear transplanting to the world above.
ML 06/04/1922