How to Live

Emulation of Charles Harper Webb’s poem “How to Live”


Eat lots of cookie dough

and new foods that look strange, different than

what you are used to.

 

Laugh with your sister on the floor

during the ungodly hours in the morning

or in the afternoon or late at night.

 

Find a best friend that is able to understand you

better than you understand yourself. One who

knows what type of ice cream to bring you

when it’s needed and when to back off.

 

Keep a journal.

Not, as something to write out your most

personal feelings, but as something to

confuse the world when you die.

 

Read everyday; articles, fiction, poetry.

Try to understand it, but don’t beat

yourself up if you can’t.

 

Find your passion in the small mundane things.

Walking the dog, coffee from Tim Hortons,

and long road trips.

 

Don’t apologize for being yourself,

don’t hide behind a mask, and

don’t be an asshole.

 

Be grateful for everything in your life

good or bad, we all have things we wish to change,

so try to change them, but if you can’t let them be.

 

Push past your boundaries,

swim with sharks and turtles, float in the ocean,

look at the stars someplace far away from the city,

make up your own names for the constellations.

 

Listen to your favourite song on repeat

till you get sick of it, then one more time to

spark the love again.

 

Take long showers with hot water till the hot water

runs out. Watch Netflix for days. Go for a run every once

and a while, no one is watching you, I promise.

 

Recognize that everyone struggles in different ways,

and most people don’t show their lives on their sleeves.

Accept them for it anyways, they’ll try and accept you too.

 

Kick life in the ass.

Love authentically.

Smile for the camera.

Die with grace.


The inspiration for this poem came from looking at Charles Harper Webb’s poem “How to Live” that he did as a response to Sharon Old’s quote “I don’t know how to live.”

We did the poem in class at the beginning of the year and I wrote something right off the bat that I didn’t love but I knew that I wanted to do something with. I feel like this version describes what living means to me more than the first one did, that said, I think the amazing part of a prompt like this is that it can constantly change to what living means to you as you grow as a person.

 

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4 thoughts on “How to Live

  1. Dear Tiana,

    I haven’t yet had the chance to visit your blog and read your writing until now, which by the way was a great decision because you write beautifully. I remember in class when we were given the original of the piece you emulated and I thought it was such a great, simple, and to the point kind of poem. I really like the way you emulated it and made it your own.

    One thing I would suggest is that you add more to this poem and see what happens!

    Sincerely, Asma.

    1. Thank you Asma! I haven’t put this one to rest just yet, I was hoping to add more to it and making it a little bit more diverse. I appreciate your feedback!

  2. Dear Tiana,

    You are an amazing writer and I can see that you have grown as a writer! I love how simple yet authentic your poem is. It was very fun to read and you have just inspired me to emulate this poem as well! I found a teeny tiny mistake, “Be grateful for everything in you life”
    Do you mean, “Be grateful for everything in your life”

    Keep up the amazing work Tiana 🙂

    Love,
    Shiksha T.

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