Contradictions
Thoreau was not a man of science,
July 9, 1999
yet his watchful eye was keen.
He turned his back on worship
yet believed in things unseen.
He's known for being solemn
yet he loved a joyful prank.
His meanings were well-hidden,
though he was direct and frank.
So, lest we wax redundant
on the nature of Thoreau
let's take a moment from our talk,
and ask if this be so --
Does it matter what we call the man
when we can all agree
that his greatness has inspired us
to remarkable degree?
Whatever Henry Thoreau was
or whatever he was not,
we can't avoid one striking fact --
he's brought us to this spot. :)
Copyright © Amy Belding Brown