A favorite thing of mine, he said,
is a hot drink in early morning,
taken to cut through phlegm
and shake rust out of the brain,
usually around six o’clock.
And then to have a walk, he said,
in the company of my brothers and sisters-
the river, forest, sky and stone,
all that is natural upon the earth.
And then to have a swim, he said,
whenever and wherever possible,
to awaken the pores,
refresh the mind,
and again make the brave attempt
to view the world without judgment.
And then to have a nap, he said,
to gain the healing daytime rest
that helps prevent diseases of the body,
to dream of sex and other wildness,
to dream of perfect silence.
And then to do some work, he said,
a few hours of honest work,
whittling away at whatever the project might be,
all the while grateful
for eyes, ears, lungs, hands and heart.
And then to die, he said,
to die a little bit each day
because that is what we owe to life,
what those who came before us had to do.
And though we may not live as they did,
it does not change it.
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