Did you take a wrong turn?

The road to hell,
they assure me,
With good intentions is paved;
But my deeds might brand me depraved.

It's the warped grain in our nature,
And St. Paul has written it true:
"The good that I would
I do not;
But the evil I would not
I do."

I've met a few men
who are monsters
When I came to know them inside;
Yet their bearing and dealings external
Are crusted with cruelty, pride,
Scorn, selfishness, envy, indifference,
Greed -
why the long list pursue?

The good that they would
they do not;
But the evil they would not
they do.

Intentions may still leave us beast-like;
With unchangeable purpose
we're men.

We must drive the nail home -
and then clinch it
Or storms shake it loose again.

In things of great import,
in trifles,
We our recreant souls
must subdue.
Till the evil we would not
we do not
And the good that we would
we do.

- St. Clair Adams