love/lee

“The public needs art, and it is the responsibility of a “self-proclaimed artist” to realize the public needs art, and not to make bourgeois art for a few and ignore the masses…If the public is afraid of art, should we [artists] be afraid of what we have done to make the public afraid of art?” 

-Keith Haring

via my dear friend Genevieve Ang’s fb status :)

my aunt and uncle gave this Dr. Seuss book to me as a graduation gift, and i couldn’t have been happier to receive it because my favorite haas professor, alan ross, recommended the book to me a few weeks back. like ross, my favorite parts are the lines that straight up say you will fail and life will get hard. because despite all this there is still “fun to be done”, periods when we shall start “happening”, and mountains that we can move.

congratulations!

today is your day.

you’re off to great places!

you’re off and away!

     you have brains in your head

     you have feet in your shoes

     you can steer yourself any direction you choose.

you’re on your own. and you know what you know.

and YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

you’ll look up and down streets. look ‘em over with care.

about some you will say, “i don’t choose to go there.”

with your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

and you may not find any

you’ll want to go down.

in that case, of course,

you’ll head straight out of town.

it’s opener there

in the wide open air.

out there things can happen

and frequently do

to people as brainy

and footsy as you.

and when things start to happen,

don’t worry. don’t stew.

just go right along.

you’ll start happening to. 

              OH!

THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

you’ll be on your way up!

you’ll be seeing great sights!

you’ll join the high fliers

who soar to high heights.

you won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.

you’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.

wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.

wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

except when you don’t.

because, sometimes, you won’t.

i’m sorry to say so

but, sadly, it’s true

that Bang-ups

and Hang-ups

can happen to you.

     you can get all hung up

     in a prickle-y perch.

     and your gang will fly on.

     you’ll be left in a Lurch. 

you’ll come down from the Lurch

with an unpleasant bump.

and the chances are, then,

that you’ll be in a Slump.

and when you’re in a Slump,

you’re not in for much fun.

un-slumping yourself

is not easily done. 

you will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

some windows are lighted. but mostly they’re darked.

a place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!

do you dare stay out? do you dare go in?

how much can you lose? how much can you win?

and IF you go on, should you turn left or right…

or right-and-three-quarters? or, maybe, not quite?

or go around back and sneak in from behind?

simple it’s not, i’m afraid you will find,

for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind. 

you can get so confused

that you start to race

down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace

and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,

headed, i fear, toward a most useless place.

                                                                The Waiting Place…

…for people just waiting.

           waiting for a train to go

or a bus to come, or a plane to go

or the mail to come, or the rain to go

or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow

or waiting around for a Yes or No

or waiting for their hair to grow.

everyone is just waiting.

waiting for the fish to bite

or waiting for wind to fly a kite

or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake

or a pot to boil, or a Better Break

or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants

or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

everyone is just waiting. 

NO!

that’s not for you!

     somehow you’ll escape

     all that waiting and staying.

you’ll find the bright places

     where Boom Bands are playing. 

with banner flip-flapping,

once more you’ll ride high!

ready for anything under the sky.

ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

oh, the places you’ll go! there is fun to be done!

there are points to be scored. there are games to be won.

and the magical things you can do with that ball

will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Fame! you’ll be famous as famous can be,

with the whole world watching you win on TV. 

except when they don’t.

because, sometimes, they won’t.

     i’m afraid that some times

     you’ll play lonely games too.

     games you can’t win

     ‘cause you’ll play against you.

all alone!

whether you like it or not,

alone will be something 

you’ll be quite a lot. 

and when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance

you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

there are some, down the road between hither and yon,

that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on. 

but on you will go

though the weather be foul.

on you will go

though your enemies prowl.

on you will go

though the Hakken-Kraks howl.

onward up many 

a frightening creek,

though your arms may get sore

and your sneakers may leak. 

on and on you will hike.

and i know you’ll hike far

and face up to your problems

whatever they are.

you’ll get mixed up, of course,

as you already know.

you’ll get mixed up

with many strange birds as you go.

so be sure when you step.

step with care and great tact

and remember that Life’s

a Great Balancing Act.

just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

and never mix your right foot with your left.

and will you succeed?

yes! you will indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

so…

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,

you’re off to Great Places!

today is your day!

your mountain is waiting.

so… get on your way!

lez go, life!