“This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the
animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for
the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate
tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward
the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man
or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with
the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the
open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you
have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever
insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and
have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines
of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every
motion and joint of your body.”
―
Walt Whitman
There is not much about Mr. Whitman that I do not love in some way. I like the idea of our very person being a poem, our words, actions, attitudes, and spirits displaying a kind of beauty and poetry that is truly unique. As spring is slowly creeping out this week, this inspired me to think of renewing that sense of self and challenged me to consider what I am doing to make the world better to change the poem of my life. I hope it challenges you as well.
Enjoy the sunshine and the life that comes with it.
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