May Thirty-First
Ludwig Tieck born 1773.
Joseph Haydn died 1809.
Walt Whitman born 1819.
Passage, immediate passage! the blood burns in my veins!
Away, O soul! hoist instantly the anchor!
Out the hawser—haul out—shake out every sail!
Have we not stood here like trees in the ground long enough?
Have we not groveled here long enough eating and drinking like mere brutes?
Have we not darkened and dazed ourselves with books long enough?
Sail forth—steer for the deep waters only,
Reckless, O soul, exploring, I with thee, and thou with me,
For we are bound where mariner has not dared to go,
And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.
—Walt Whitman.
Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be affrighted at them: for Jehovah thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
—Deuteronomy 31. 6.
My Father, give me joyful courage to squarely face my life. Help me to know that I cannot vanquish life by evading duties, nor encircling myself with indulgences. If I may be blind to my situation, restore my sight that I may make ready a worthy passage with thee. Amen.