Last month, I submitted my poem "Make Yourself Good" to the Odes to Marcus Aurelius international competition held by Modern Stoicism and The Aurelius Foundation to celebrate the Stoic emperor's 1900th birthday. I was honored to win second place and would like to share what I wrote with you!
The competition organizers also shared a recording of me reading the poem. Click on the YouTube video above to hear it. My goal with this poem: To get at the heart of Marcus' Meditations, and what I hope to remember from his writings each and every day. Make Yourself Good By Meredith Alexander Kunz “Do not act as if you had ten thousand years to live.” - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4:17 Remember that this moment Is all you have: Each flying second Your personal eternity To make with it What you can On this earth. Each flash of consciousness Your own, your true possession, The source of your power To choose, and choose well, In this temporary existence. Focus on this alone and stay true. That’s what you need to remember To concentrate on what must be done. God or atoms? No difference. Each of us must make our own way. And that inner daimon-- That guardian-spirit Inside you, inside us all, Knows the path to virtue And the good. When we listen, We find happiness. Some days, some years even, We will be down and out, Dispossessed, beaten up By the whims of the world, Liable to gnash our teeth, Fill our brains with worry, Fear, desire, resentment. But still: We hold the keys to mastery Of all that really matters. It’s a lesson for the ages: “While you have life in you, While you can, Make yourself good.” Check yourself. Channel Marcus. And if you’re veering off course into Love of status, money, looks, things-- If you’re consumed By trepidation Of what lies ahead, And dread of what Surrounds you, Stop-- And recall the philosopher-king to rule them all. He’ll set you right. And you’ll start the next day Ready for the fight.
1 Comment
Gilda Foster
6/21/2021 11:59:17 am
Thank you, the sentiment is spot on
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About The Stoic MomI'm a writer, editor, and mom to two daughters in Northern California on a journey to discover how Stoic philosophy and mindful approaches can change a parent's - or any person's - life. Categories
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