It’s national poetry month, or so my calendar tells me. That means nothing to me, except for the fact that I’m neither a poet nor a fan of poetry.
However, I do appreciate some literary works that technically fall into the poetry category. For instance, I do like some of Walt Whitman’s works, especially his Leaves of Grass. While I don’t get all gushy and weep at the words and the way they are arranged on the page, I do feel “moved,” be reading certain passages.
So, in honor of national poetry month, and my simple-minded understanding of Walt Whitman’s compositions, here goes my tribute:
“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 . . . .” (Leaves of Grass)
My favorite part of that: “re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book.” Love that. And now I’m off to stand up for the stupid and the crazies.
Happy April followers and friends. In my opinion, the picture above is nature’s poetry. Wouldn’t you agree?
Do you enjoy poetry? Do you understand poetry? What’s your take on the excerpt above?
Word of the day: Gabelle
Fun fact about me: I once had a literary agent tell me my manuscript was too poetic. Ha! I scoff at her analysis.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, April 2016. Photos courtesy Google Images.
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