Life's Big Questions are Answered by Classic American Poetry. Srsly.

Some existential questions in life cause stress.

Who am I?
Where am I going?
What should I do with my life?

And now this list is being expanded by questions I see spammed all over Facebook and Twitter.
I couldn't resist this one...

Oh, no!  I had no idea that in addition to being married for over twenty years, I also needed a LITERARY soulmate.  I can't possibly be alone in this revelation, as clearly over 1.6 million other people also felt the moral imperative to take this test!

So somehow pictures of houses (I picked on with a yard), random favorite movies (Being John Malkovich, anyone?) and sharing what I do with my weekends (nap should've been an option. Or cram in homework before midnight deadlines.) leads me to the all important answer...


YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. (Make Success Kid face and gesture.)

I love me some Langston Hughes.  I would even say that I sparkly, puffy heart Langston Hughes.  This is the first Hughes poem I'd ever read, and it's still my favorite because the imagery is so deliciously perfect...

                                                     A Dream Deferred
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?                                                                                          ~Langston Hughes

See what I mean?  Each line uses a scant few words to paint a picture, and it rhymes without being sing-songy-saccharinly-sweet.  Sometimes I do financial counseling with people, and the word "deferred" (deferred payments, deferred interest...) always makes me think of this poem.  Every single time.

Me 'n' Langston... I'm feelin' this poem. And, you know, we also have all these things in common...

 

Eating, sleeping, drinking, being in love...
This is how to live, peeps.  The Langston way, baby.