This is What You Should Do

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 labour 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....
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...
not only in its words,
but in the silent lines of its lips and face....
and in every motion and joint of your body.

Walt Whitman  from preface of "Leaves of Grass"
classification:  inspiration
Thank you to Valerie for the picture