poem
by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
The
world is a beautiful place
to
be born into
if
you don't mind happiness
not
always being
so
very much fun
if
you don't mind a touch of hell
now
and then
just
when everything is fine
because
even in heaven
they
don't sing
all
the time
The
world is a beautiful place
to
be born into
if
you don't mind some people dying
all
the time
or
maybe only starving
some
of the time
which
isn't half bad
if
it isn't you
Oh
the world is a beautiful place
to
be born into
if
you don't much mind
a
few dead minds
in
the higher places
or
a bomb or two
now
and then
in
your upturned faces
or
such other improprieties
as
our Name Brand society
is
prey to
with
its men of distinction
and
its men of extinction
and
its priests
and
other patrolmen
and
its various segregations
and
congressional investigations
and
other constipations
that
our fool flesh
is
heir to
Yes
the world is the best place of all
for
a lot of such things as
making
the fun scene
and
making the love scene
and
making the sad scene
and
singing low songs and having inspirations
and
walking around
looking
at everything
and
smelling flowers
and
goosing statues
and
even thinking
and
kissing people and
making
babies and wearing pants
and
waving hats and
dancing
and
going swimming in rivers
on
picnics
in
the middle of the summer
and
just generally
'living
it up'
Yes
but
then right in the middle of it
comes
the smiling
mortician