My computer is in for a tune-up, I type so-o slowly on the iPad, and these words, I hope, will help us breathe through another sad time.
Preface to Leaves of Grass
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.
Perfect...and timely.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary Lee.
DeletePhysically and mentally relax at the words. Thank you for the perfect balm. Have a good Friday Linda B.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. There are many beautiful and calming words, but poetry is my favorite of them.
DeleteI seem to be about 2 hours behind you....every time I click on a new poetry friday link....I'm just behind you. lol. I promise I'm not a stalker!
DeleteSo funny, but you'll get ahead now, I stopped for the night. I'm in mountain time, FYI.
DeleteA thousand times yes, my friend!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Keri. Glad to hear.
DeleteDamn, Walter! I don't know how I missed so much of Walt Whitman as a high-schooler, because I know we read him, but maybe my brash, passionate teenaged self couldn't abide these brash, passionate words. And yet I think if I had read this with any attention, I would have recorded it in my journals as a pledge to the future. What a visionary. Thank for taking the time to type it out, Linda!
ReplyDeleteIt is one of the things I do remember, Heidi, and he wrote some wonderful things, didn't he? Thanks!
DeleteThis does help, Linda. Whitman makes it sound so reasonable and simple. It hurts my heart that so many don't see the truth of these words.
ReplyDeleteWishing and hoping, Catherine. The summer has been a good one in many ways for me, but not what I imagined in other places.
DeleteThis is something to post in a visible place. Thank you. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Julieanne, It makes me happy that you liked Whitman's words.
DeleteThere's beautiful perspective in these words. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Ruth.
DeleteThese beautiful words are much needed. Thank you, Linda (and Walt)! I especially like, "dismiss whatever insults your own soul" - something I've been trying to do for a long time. =)
ReplyDeleteAgreed, some things are hard to dismiss. Thanks, Bridget.
DeleteWhitman's words echo Mary Oliver's "The Summer Day" -- a call to make use of "your one wild and precious life."
ReplyDeleteYes, it does, Laura, other good words to appreciate. Thanks.
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