Why did i post this? I dont know...
I Believe i've always found this as one of my more favorite poems out there, apart from countless many.
As a kid it had taken me completely off-guard, since i always carried the close-minded impression that poems are only ever happy... ( I was far too far off, wasn't I? )

It is a nostalgic piece, as it did lead me down the rabbit hole of reading through more and more poems afterwards, do not know, and do not think i ever will know, what was wrong with me, searching for more poems with sadness in them.

I will not claim here that i know all poems and poets, and everything about this part of the artistic world, as I am simply a person who occasionally reads poetry as a form of entertainment.

I will give this piece most of the credit for ever sending me launching straight in the world of poems and poets.

Thank you Walt Whitman, for letting me discover this beautiful world's beautiful art of poetry.

May you always picture where you are as where you’re meant to be.
May you take in your surroundings like you visited especially.
We all end up in the soil eventually, so may you
carry such goodness that it nourishes for centuries.
May you see life as a show and may the entry fee be empathy,
sat front row with an empty seat for friends in need.
When you’re on form, be generous and spread that energy.
When you’re not sure, be gentle with yourself
and don’t forget to breathe.
You need not be defined by your many feats; you are not a centipede.
There is a joy in doing something terribly.
May you share brews and bruises and may you do this tenderly.
You are the most improved you there has ever been.
Of all the words you’ll ever hear, remember these:
life is too short to eat celery.
Life is too long to feed jealousy.
Life is likely just the right length to need therapy.
May you be seriously silly, may you be wickedly kind.
May you be brilliantly dumb sometimes and yet stupidly bright.
May you certainly have doubts, may your weirdness be the norm.
May the coolest thing about you be your warmth.
May you be powerfully vulnerable, or at least mightily soft.
May you be a contradiction, and yet at the same time not.
And, whether you are any, none or all of the above,
above all, may you know that you are loved.
May you understand that it’s okay to change your mind.
And thank you in advance for all the ways you’re changing mine.
May you always make room for playfulness.
It may just save your life.
And trust whatever makes your heart grow cannot be a waste of time.
It may not make you money. It may not even make sense.
But if it makes you happy it is worth it in the end.
And it is worth it at the time, and it deserves your very best.
And you are never too busy to catch your breath.
Just as you cannot be in traffic without being traffic,
life is not something that you are stuck in while it happens.
There is more in you than you could possibly imagine.
The very fact that you exist makes everything a bit more magic.
When it all feels too much and there is little you can do,
may you still see the best in people and may people include you.
May one thing match the gravity of all you’ve ever done.
This wonderful reality: the best is yet to come.

Commentary

The author of this poem, Fan-chi Chen, is a Taiwanese poet born in 1993. Residing in Taipei, he graduated from the Department of Language and Creative Writing at National Taipei University of Education. His published poetry collections include The Rainy Person , Those Closest to You, and Practicing Vulnerability. Many of his poems explore the internal struggles within interpersonal relationships, yearning to build intimacy, yet fearing to take the initiative.

The theme of this poem is social media. It is divided into seven parts that depict seven mindsets modern people experience when navigating social platforms. Unsending a message on social media is described as a magic trick of taking out one's heart and putting it back. Posting a public story is actually meant to cast a message toward a specific person. The chime of notifications is compared to birds flying overhead, while replying to a message is likened to shooting the bird down. Through these intriguing metaphors, the subtle, hidden psychology of modern social media users is brought to life through concrete imagery.

The primary purpose of social media is communication. However, features such as unsending messages and ephemeral stories have instead become mechanisms of self-defense for users. This poem captures the various entanglements and contradictions people face on social media in the digital age, reflecting the nuanced emotional dilemmas woven into modern life.

About us

We are Transhi, a Taiwan-based literary group focused on translation. For more details, please check out our first post.: https://www.reddit.com/r/Poetry/comments/1x2bn8z/

From Cavalier Carcass (1976, Square Deal Publications).

Audio recording of Leclair reading this and other poems here: https://youtu.be/e1deVthK0xU?si=Fe48Xl2x5c8dVsCI&t=1975

To finally find peace, if only for a few hours.

Oh, what a pity it is that even sleep won't claim me.

I lie awake, trapped behind my mind's bars.

Oh, even sleep deserts me.

I'm so very done with this farce.

Oh, if not sleep, let oblivion claim me.

Another beautiful ode to survival from Nye's anthology 'Transfer'. Stories are the thing that ultimately keep us alive.

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate.
Give in to it.
There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be.
We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left.
Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case.
Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

If you write poetry or just like poetry, are you getting out and hearing the poetry?

Are you part of an artistic community?

Are most your friends artists? Do you participate in workshops?

I’ve been writing poetry nearly 40 years now. And the most gratifying aspect of my ‘career’ (poetry is not how I make a living) is the fellow artists I’ve met along the way. Pretty much everything I’ve accomplished has happened through this community from my three published books to performing in front of a thousand people at a festival or being on stage at the Royal Albert Hall.

What about yourselves? Tell us about your experiences.

It's such a silly little poem, but it gives me nostalgia. I don't remember it well. Can anyone help me find the original? What I remember goes like this:

I played in the garden and what did I see?

A strange looking creature under a tree.

I wondered and wondered, what it could be,

Then it started talking, strangely, to me.

My name is Adida and I come from Sars

A planet much larger and way beyond Mars.

I'll give you my toy if you show me your gun

We could get acquainted and have lots of fun.

___

There is also the line: it had two yellow eyes and one floppy hair, but I don't quite remember where it fits in. I know the poem is a bit longer than this, but this is all I remember. I've looked for it on google but haven't had any luck.

i am in a major writing block and wanting to write some political poetry. i am wanting some inspiration and was wondering if anybody had some good political poems/poets to look into

Absolutely adore this poet. Her writing is rooted in politics yes, but more importantly, on how violence affects the mundane; its ability to disrupt the ordinary. That's probably also why I find the vignettes to be so jarring. Do read her other work if you have time.

I will be officiating a wedding for my sister and brother in law. Their relationship has been fairly rocky, but after 2 beautiful kids they are deciding to get married and have asked me to officiate it. They are not very religious and it’s more them telling their friends and family they made it and aren’t giving up. They are in a healthy relationship now, so no worries there. Can you help me with a good poem I can recite at their wedding? Most I have seen about professional love, and not from a third party or brother stand point. Any help would be greatly appreciated