Desiderata
(Latin: "things desired") is an early 1920s prose poem by the American writer Max Ehrmann. I first heard of it on a TV programme, University Challenge, of all things. I was intrigued enough to look it up. It had some nice lines, worth thinking about:
"Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story."
"You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here."
"And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."
The original is written in a solid block of prose, but in the picture, I have broken the text up into stanzas for easier reading.
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