Classic Poem

Only to let things go,
Only to stop fixing bounds for myself,
Only to do as I please and be happy,
Only to be foolish when the world says I should be wise,
Only to get away from the measures and give myself a chance to see what I really am,
Only to get my true measure by not taking any measure at all,
Only to see the farthest by not trying to see at all,
Only to hear divine voices by not listening for voices at all,
Only to be myself without making an effort to be myself at all,
Only to wanton with the day and take it without suspicion on its own terms,
Only to get beyond the cry of the strongest voice calling me back,
Only to get where no chase can any longer dog my quickened feet,
Only to wrench my despoiled self free from the habits of the ruly,
Only to salute the fraternity of a world lawlessly superior to law.

Only to let things go:
To be as I am when I dream free dreams of myself, and dreams are what dreams may be,
To be as I am before I am good or bad, and good and bad are what good and bad may be,
To be as I am before the law comes and appoints me a lesson in obedience, and obedience is what obedience may be,
To be as I am before religion comes and makes me a date with the cross, and the cross is what the cross may be,
To be as I am before I become a social asset or an industrial fact, and assets and facts are what assets and facts may be,
To be as I am when love is as love may be,
To be as I am when rebellion is as rebellion may be,
To be as I am when a woman takes me in her arms and is as a woman may be,
To be as I am when no one is looking on and honesty is as honesty may be,
To be as I am when I am not respectable and manhood is as manhood may be,
To be as I am when I do not care whose voices are for me or whose against me, and voices are as voices may be,
To be as I am when nothing holds me back and nothing pushes me forward, and progress is as progress may be,
To be as I am when the last restraint is removed, and birds sing as birds sing, and grasses grow as grasses grow, all as they freely may be,
To be as I am when I do not look for victory or defeat, and when victory and defeat are as victory and defeat may be,
This it is that takes possession of my veins and runs me hot and fast with living blood,
This it is that comes to life when life is let alone and allowed to pay its debt in the elysian equities of the spirit.

Only to let things go! only to let things go!
To hold nothing back for discounts or contingencies,
To check no prophetic impulse,
To pass unstopped beyond the last frontier.