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Odes.com Poems of Love & Life
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Intro...
Travelling the Distances©
Poems of Love & Life
Desiderata
Go placidly amidst the
noise & haste & remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without
surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even the dull & ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud & aggressive persons; they are
vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain & bitter; for always
there will be greater & lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of
time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind
you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all
aridity & disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden
misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue & loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the
trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt, the
universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and
whatever your labours and aspirations, in this noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul. With
all its sham, drudgery & broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be
happy.
17th Century Anonymous |
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Poems by CAJ |
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'Travelling the Distances' - Poems - © CAJ - 1974-2010