Sharpening the Knife, Poem by Constance Anstaett

Sharpening the Knife

Poem by Constance Anstaett

In response to Walden [Chapter 2] “Where I Lived, and

What I Lived For” by Thoreau

“I went into the woods because I wished to live deliberately,”1 To escape corrupt society, And exist in full simplicity.

I am surrounded by only necessity, Where pureness of nature lives, Where the dewy rain and wildflowers, Have Oh so much to give!

Infrequent fly-by-nighters, Come and ask for the story But it is I that look at them More than skeptically.

For them, you see . . . It does not really matter, As they are less concerned about self-reflection, And more about climbing the corporate ladder.

The physical and spiritual, Are intrinsically tied. A new purpose can be fashioned To leave immorality behind.

Every day that you are stagnate, There is a very hefty cost.

Stuck in a precarious cycle, Happiness cannot be found, where it was lost.

God-fearing and righteous alike, Those before us constructed a map But it is not without gratitude, That I choose a different path.

For it is in complete solitude, Whatever definition is attached, When a spiritual awakening occurs, With the surface only scratched.

So, walk in your own shoes, Do not slip on those of another, You must find life’s essence on your own Not with your friend, foe or mother.

And you do not need to travel, To the distant corners of the earth. The sublime can be found right here–In the land . . . in the dirt.

“Why should we live in such hurry And waste of life?” 1 Why would we carve out a space, Without first sharpening the knife?

1. BlackBoard. “Walden Chapter 2 Where I Lived, and What I Lived For.” Learn Us East, 2021, learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet02xythos.content.blackboardcdn.com/5e018b47c5434/ 8674423?X-Blackboard-Expiration=1612072800000&X-Blackboard