Thursday, June 18, 2020

A SIMPLE MEASURE OF HEALTH

Eastern Bluebird

Measure your health by your sympathy with morning and spring.  If there is no response in you to the awakening of nature — if the prospect of an early morning walk does not banish sleep, if the warble of the first bluebird does not thrill you — know that the morning and spring of your life are past.  Thus may you feel your pulse.
Henry David Thoreau
Journal: February 25, 1859


2 comments:

  1. Our yesterday long walk on a long beautiful beach was without any human life. We left nothing but footprints and I took a lot of photos. I did feel like making my mark in your blog. I am looking for a quote from a June poem, ‘To What Purpose is this Waste’ by Christina Rossetti:

    “...And other eyes than our's
    Were made to look on flowers,
    Eyes of small birds and insects small:
    The deep sun-blushing rose
    Round which the prickles close
    Opens her bosom to them all.
    The tiniest living thing
    That soars on feathered wing,
    Or crawls among the long grass out of sight,
    Has just as good a right
    To its appointed portion of delight
    As any King....”

    ReplyDelete
  2. Delighted to receive your comment this morning, John. I absolutely love the Rossetti quote from "To What Purpose is this Waste." Thanks for sharing it with me. I will now locate the poem and read it in its entirety.

    ReplyDelete