I received a beautiful poem in my inbox this morning. The poem was Seamus Heaney’s “From the Republic of Conscience.”

As I am nearing the end of my pregnancy, this poem struck a deep chord within me. The past few weeks, I luxuriously read and write poems every day. In between hearing all the discomforting news, lyrical words of wisdom bring me peace; a source for a sense of decency in humanity; and contemplation for a better world.

The poet wishes for leaders to take their responsibilities to heart and soul, in representing all of us to our highest human potential and our capacity to live harmoniously together. Heaney writes: “At their inauguration, public leaders / must swear to uphold unwritten law and weep / to atone for their presumption to hold office”.

How glorious it would be if we had leaders who didn’t assume they were above all powers of karma, laws of God or natural physics of the Universe!

I watched Young Frankenstein last night, the Mel Brooks spoof of Mary Shelley’s classic thriller. It was nice to laugh! I want to be able to laugh at the severity of what is culminating in the world right now, but it is all too serious to brush off. Which part of what is broken in us should I focus on?

Mary Shelley was married to the great Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley who said, “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.”

Poets keep us in check, not elected officials. Whenever there’s a poet running for office: vote for her. Poems remind us that humanity is an experience of truth and beauty. Poets expose lies and the people saying them.

Let’s not allow for fear, anguish and anger to block our vibrancy. Its time to shine a light on what is blocking us. Heaney’s poem is a reminder of the great importance for truth and beauty to live vibrantly in the world. Let us continue to let it flow through us.