,( ,

, {

the contemporary seeing war as anything other than h II ...

but humans don't change all that much, and will alwa'ts be
inclined to fall victim to the age-old fallacies. war~s 'have
always been unspeakably' horrible, and yet the last one has DESIDERATA - L~-;' _ ~ Tfw.1y.
always been forgotten in time for another one to be st rrted. • d~J i

As someone said not too long ago, war, is alw;zys a

failure ofhumanity, Yet, the fact must be faced that hu anity
(j) Go ~ amid the noise and haste, ~ ~ r::::::::J'df'
and remember what peace there may be in silence. ~ /-A..L.
is fundamentally flawed, and will fail, and decisions mu t still
be made by human beings about confronting an enemy=-and ® A,s far as possible wit~
live. A4/rnt~I'1J'bt4.i~
~~ so ~
sometimes about confronting that enemy before he can 10 his' , V~e- 011 p?:!~ ~~nns ~lIth. all ~ ~
worst damage to the innocent. (While people are fOjld of @ spial ~~d clearly; ~ ~
describing Iraq as Bush's 'war of choice,' it is [arely
and listen to others, ;; ~il.fJ ~ k
remembered that Saddam had a choice until the very laJ:l day,
of leaving Iraq for a third country with his sons, but chose even the dull and the ignorant; ~ ~"\..fr
instead to put his own grasp on power above the inter sts of they too ,have their storv. 1vlYYY1~. ,"_•.•.i:
Ii':'t. . It..( - VLn Uo..d • ~ I tuJrJf' ~J'
a people whom he had already led into two cataclysmi wars D./ AVOId loud ~s~sons, , .
in the 1980s and 1990s.) they are vexations to the spirit.~~~ ~ ~
Acknowledging that war is hell, and no place to lobk for @ If you compare yourself with others " , . ,
, glory, do~s 110t therefore negate th~ UJ~~erstandin~ th1't ,:ar . f:h':~ ~ 1CPJ
you may become vain and bitter; 7;1' -, J
d/:;" i
'UM-Gi 1'114

can sometimes be both necessary and justified. A soldier srekmg

medals a~ld the approval of his mot,her will alw~ys stati'e into for always there fY!l~~
p~e~ty and lesser persons than yourself.
the emptiness of such a purpose, when faced WIth the olood, ® Enjoy your~e~s~~. ~/~
gore and death of the battlefield. On the other hand, a soldier @ .Keep" interested
. ,7/..-ovtO&,.,
in your own career
-ArY' ~ ~_
however humble'
~ ',
who has volunteered; in an act of knowing sacrifice, t ' fight It IS a real possession ll1 the changing fortunes of time.
for his country, for freedom and for the protection »f the
innocent, knows that his actions are not pointless, andt .at the
® Exercise caution in your business affairs;-
mark he is leaving is one that others have left in the P 1st for for the world is full of trickery.' IA
fl'I>. B 1" ~ . /./ n vUoY'
his sake. The bravery of such a soldier, and the res ect he 12I ut et th~~u13 ,\1~,!'
t~virtue there is;"/\. =:
deserves from those of us he defends, signifies someth ng far many persons striv~ighi~ ~
more sublime and precious than glory. Glory properly !.;longs
and evervwI~re life is full of heroism ' .
only to God, as someone like the composer of John trown ~ \ aM~ ~.". ~~ "".I'b I, I::
~ e yourself ~ •..t '{vvv~'{j
would appreciate well. But, 'greater love hath no m 1 than ~E' 11 -~.dI ~& /.l\.£.A,O.;.·6!:;· __ .-r..
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.' specia y, do noffeJgn'affection'- - -vo---o..-vV'YVVU.

® Neither be ~b'OfJt lov~' _

for in the face of all ~ disen~h~e~~~ ~ ~ 'm
it i~ as~~e grass. .,...~ ftvt...
@ Take kindly the counsel of the' ye~ULS .
Reverie,A co: of ISC Poems 180 ,'~~ cr&- /~,,"\ ~ eJUA ~
tJ\. fI"JI ~ 181 Reverie A Col. of ISC Poems

.J>
---------,-.---~-- _ _-_ .

[~h~. ,OLl£~~ e-,...,

(;vJ.;t;,'vaefully surr erin<r.the·t;hingsofyouth.~ ~~~
10, career - profession
~ Nurture strength of spirit tOS)Ie you i~~·ne.
~ II
.,'··'. .7Y-~~
But do not distress YOurseI~~!tt~a~mmgs.~
. ~'~~~"6t1-z1;,iA;'
ns«; tr-" ~'y
II. humble =Iow
12, exercise caution •. be careful

0
/
~
i.
~.
1/-.... fi1ic~~
.
=
"Many fears
{(!j)
bo~~and)oneJmess.
Beyond a.·.\\.'holesome dircipline,
~ ~
_
"1 ,d':'l'l.Jl.J(
.. .1
~-~_
v' '-'V~~
13. trickery - deception
14; virtue - goodness
~ De-gentle wfth yourseIC"~'
'31' A.~
~. @ ~oua.re a child 0. f the. u. niverse,[~,;
no less than the trees, and the stars;
~fo'
15. strive - try
16. heroism - very great courage

~ .'
I\..,~
l.iJ 1'A..P/VL V> ~"vt &>--JI RA~~.L_ ~an-u 1 17. feign affection - pretend to be loving or affectionate

j. I~
f-i7..
I{V Ana
you have a right to be here.
...u& crPyo<::> CH-vt t,;:-b<e ~
whether or not it IS clear to..yoo~~
7
,;IA __
VI" .n~ •• ~__ .
-''--<.oj, v-r<---cc 18. cynical - be totally negative and suspicious
19. aridity - dryness
se no doubt the universe is ~~tshould.~ ~
@ Therefore be at peace with God, P7..V~ 20. disenchantment - disillusionment
J,~/V~ 21. perennial - eternal
wh.atever you conceive Hun ~o_be,./ -7 "
p;t..tA"-d' ••••.....
~ ~
and whatever your labors and aspirations, 22. counsel - advice

® in the ~oisy c.on lIsion 'of life k~/R--peace w~t~):our soul. 23. things of youth - things we take pride in youth
® With all Its sham, ru~ely, an~ dreams; , 24. nurture - cultivate

it is still a beautiful world. tJ/ ~~ work 25. strength of spirit - spiritual strength
@ Be cheerful. 26. misfortune - bad luck, disaster
Strive to be happy. 27. distress - trouble
30. dark irnaginings - baseless and bad things that you imagine
Glossary might happen
I. desiderata - (Latin) desired things 31. fatigue' - tiredness
2. placidly - calmly 32. wholesome - healthy
3. amid the noise and the haste - In the presence of the feverish, 33. universe - the whole of space and everything in it
noisy'activities all around 34. unfolding - revealing itself
4. without surrender -h(lnollta.bly 35. conceive - see, visualize
5. the dull - the boring 36. labors - pains
6. aggressive - angry and behavingina threatening way 37. aspiratioins - ambitions
7. vexatious - troublesome
38. sham - hypocrisy, pretension
8. vain - proud
39. drudgery - hard boring work
9; bitter - disillusioned, cynic

Reverie A Col. of ISC Poems 182

183 Reverie A Col. of ISC Poems