As a child, I was exuberant, full of joie de vivre—in French, love of life.

My grandmother recalled a time I was visiting for a week and very morning, I ran into her room, jumped on the bed and exclaimed “It’s a new day, it’s a new day!”

The intention of this poem is to capture the energy of my four year old self and to celebrate the 25th year of publication for Oh, The Places You’ll Go (1990).

Today Is a New Day

Rise and shine on this beautiful day.
There’s only this one, so enjoy… just press play.
It is hereby a day for you to be you
and do all the things you like to do.
There’s only one moment and the moment is now.
Forget the woulds, coulds, shoulds and hows.
Be who you be and see what you see,
live a life that is chock-full-o-glee.
The sun is now up, the moon’s gone to bed,
what sort of adventure will pop into your head?
Forget the to-dos and put on your shoes,
there’s a world out there and there’s nothing to lose.
You could try a new food, see a new sight,
or make a new friend, who knows—you just might!
Or maybe in wandering a light will ignite
A new thought emerges—to your delight
And through that fresh crack, this free thought will rise,
bringing ideas… joy and surprise!
That spark is the light of your brilliance, you know.
It knows where to find you and brings freedom in tow.
Follow it towards the next thought and the next;
in almost no time you will see the effects.
Good things are in store—there’s more and there’s more.
Keep moving forward, you’ll fly and you’ll soar.
And that’s why you’re here—to do what you do,
to think those great thoughts and explore being you.
So step forth in joy and in bliss and in fun
and keep going and going until you are done.

Dr. Seuss was an inspiration to me—in childhood and beyond. From the environmental cry of The Lorax to the adventuring spirit of Oh the Places You’ll Go, he captured the art of sharing important life concepts whimsically and in a way that’s easy to access.

~

Author: Justine Pattantyus

Editor: Katarina Tavčar

Photo: Loren Kerns/Flickr