Walt Whitman Inspiration: 2019

Happy New Year!

Excerpt from Walt Whitman's Poem "This Compost"

I've never
embroidered before,
but I decided to embroider
excerpts from Walt Whitman's
poem "This Compost." While he may
have written about dead corpses following
the American Civil War, I re-imagined
his words and considered waste
instead, and the power of
the earth to renew
herself again
and again.

Embroidered excerpt from Walt Whitman's Poem "This Compost" by Evelyn R. Swett

We have that
same power. Every 
January 1st to begin again.
Whitman's is an optimistic poem 
reflecting our innate American optimism.
I celebrate this poem not just because
2019 is the 200th anniversary of
Whitman's birth, but also
because his message
is more important
now than ever.

Embroidered excerpt from Walt Whitman's Poem "This Compost" by Evelyn R. Swett

My individual
stitches might be uneven
and the text written on an old pillowcase
may be awkward, but seen from afar, the colors
are bright, cheerful and make me want
to smile. Optimism is all I know.
So here we come 2019,
on stitch at a time...

Embroidered excerpt from Walt Whitman's Poem "This Compost" by Evelyn R. Swett

I launched
my online climate
'coaching' class and am
petrified. What if no one is 
interested or needs what I have
to offer? But I show up, 
one week, one stitch
at a time and
know it is
good.

1995 sheepskin fleece washed for the first time in 20 years!

I came home
from Mexico to find
that my anxious dog had
peed all over the sheepskin rug
I stand on to write these blog posts.
Frustrated? You bet. But what's a gal to do?
A few squirts of soap, some aggressive
massaging of the fleece and some
patience while it dried was all
that was needed. This is
what I tell myself.
New Year. New
ventures.
Patience.

Compost, Hanover, NH By Evelyn R. Swett

So here we are.
It's 2019. The UN Climate
Report says we have twelve years.
Our job is to show up, support each other and
get the job done. For me, that involves
persistence and patience and a 
whole lot of bravery as
I creatively try new
things. What
about
​you?

Embroidered excerpt from Walt Whitman's Poem "This Compost" by Evelyn R. Swett

"Behold this Compost! behold it well!
...What chemistry!"
-Walt Whitman