You are a child of the universe.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

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.

For the entire Desiderata go to Inspirational Poems page

Whether of not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Go Placidly, Amid the noise and Haste & Remember what peace there may be in silence.

May I not forget that poverty and riches are of the spirit. Though the world knows me not, may my thoughts and actions be such as will keep me friendly with myself.

Let me not follow in the clamor of the world, but walk calmly in my path.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

Everything worthwhile ends. We are in the perpetual process now: creation, maturation, cessation.

The alternative to thinking in evolutionary terms is not to think at all.

Fly, you fools!' he cried, and was gone.

The details of what we call our lives go sometimes to form patterns of meaning not unlike those to be found in our preferred sort of fiction.

The science of booby-trapping has taken a good deal of the fun out of following hot on the enemy's heels.

Misfortune wandering the same track lights now upon one and now upon another.

We Finns represent a very transparent and open-minded way of reaching political decisions.

Never make a promise in haste.

I believe that no people ever yet groaned under the heavy yoke of slavery but when they deserved it.

Even smiling makes my face ache.