Favorite Things

I read a post on another blog this morning that reminded me of this poem. I was introduced to Spoon River Anthology by a high school English teacher, and this one quickly became a favorite. There have been many times that I’ve gone back to this poem for inspiration.

George Gray
by Edgar Lee Masters

I HAVE studied many times
The marble which was chiseled for me–
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life.
For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;
Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one’s life may end in madness,
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire–
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.

So I ask, what inspires you? Are there poems, songs, books, etc. that you repeatedly find yourself returning to?