The Great Man, His Journal
 


He aims his journal at posterity
every time he seeks the volume out.
Today, they may not take as seriously
just what it is his words are all about.
Tomorrow, though, when judgment is pronounced,
his writings soaring miles above the rest,
they’ll seek the private pages where he bounced
his words of wisdom off the very best.
How they’ll honor him in retrospect:
He faced the thorny issues of his day
with honesty, with courage, circumspect,
and soldiered on when others called it quits.
He died. His dog, insightful in her way,
found the book and chewed the thing to bits.

Don Wheelock

If you have any thoughts about this poem, Don Wheelock  would be pleased to hear them