I envy them their close links to Mother Nature and I envy them their freedom of the sky
And I envy them their grace and natural beauty for a thing of natural beauty is a thing of joy
As Winter nears the swallows do not tarry off to the warmer climate they do fly
And I worry about myself and my needs are they not that much happier than I?

Today I watched the swallows o'er the paddocks chasing winged insects they flew to and fro
I envy them their carefree life and freedom restriction a thing they will never know
They are not shackled by worry like humans the gift of freedom is a marvellous thing
I watched them fly above the sunlit paddocks and as they flew I heard them chirp and sing.

Their span of time seems brief compared to our span but they know joy and freedom every day
And when the chilly winds of Fall blow colder to the warmer climate they will fly away
Their innocence until death will be with them they do not judge, begrudge or criticize
And all day long above the sunlit padocks they chase flying beetles, mosquitoes, bees and flies.

And all day long above the sunlit paddocks they chirp and twitter in the sunlit sky
And they do not seem to have a care or worry and they seem happier by far than I
And I envy them their freedom and their innocence and their carefree ways the man in me begrudge
These feathered children of the Goddess Nature who never envy criticize or judge.

Francis Duggan

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-envy-them/