MYSELF

 

          MYSELF

‘MYSELF’ is the title of the poem written by the American poet Edgar Albert Guest (20 August 1881-5 August 1959). He wrote around 11,000, mostly short poems of 14 lines each on popular themes of lost love, regret and death. He also wrote a lot of short stories but became famous as people’s poet.  His style is sentimental. In ‘MYSELF’ he presents a very brief mirror-like portrait of himself. As he says in a couple of lines of the poem: I want to go out with my head erect, and, I can never hide myself from me.  ‘MYSELF’ is a poem of inspiration for every frank, noble and un-hypocritical man.

Given below is the full poem.

“I have to live with myself, and so

I want to be fit for myself to know,

I want to be able, as days go by,

Always to look myself straight in the eye;

I don’t want to stand, with the setting sun,

And hate myself for things I have done.  

 

I don’t want to keep on a closet shelf

A lot of secrets about myself,

And fool myself, as I come and go,

Into thinking that nobody else will know

The kind of man I really am;

I don’t want to dress up myself in sham.

 

I want to go out with my head erect,

I want to deserve all men’s respect;

I want to be able to like myself.

I don’t want to look at myself and know

That I’m bluster and bluff and empty show.

 

I can never hide myself from me;

I see what others may never see;

I know what others may never know,

I never can fool myself, and so,

Whatever happens, I want to be

Self-respecting and conscience free.

                                 *********        

G.R. Kanwal

11 August 2023