From 23 Degrees of Paradise

The speaker reflects on the concept of freedom from want, questioning who truly desires it. They highlight that only the dead are without wants, and even bread only fuels the desire for more bread. They mention that nature, celestial bodies, and various aspects of human life continue in an endless cycle. The speaker also expresses their identity as encompassing space, celestial bodies, elements, and human experiences. They conclude by stating that they cannot fully define themselves beyond these aspects. Freedom from want. Who wants freedom from want? The only wantless are the dead, and bread but feeds the fire of want that wants for bread. The air, the sky, the stars are free. The waters too, and so are we. The sun, the moon, the planets, wend their wheeling way without an end. The grass, the leaf, the tree, the land, the lake, the shore, the sea, the sand, a face, a glance, a touch, a hand, the wheeling way without an end. The halls, the schools, the ancient springs, the courts, the cloisters, priests and kings, on what thing does this way depend? The wheeling way without an end. Walls and cities, silent spires, houses, hearths and glowing fires, their magic circles all extend the wheeling way without an end. The sun, the moon, the day, the night, the shining earth, the ocean bright, and all things to their purpose bend the wheeling way without an end. The canopy of outer space, the cosmonauts' imprisoned face, a sacred sacrifice we send the wheeling way without an end. I am space, the stars that glow. I am moon, the tides that flow. I am sun, the winds that blow. I am earth, that earth men know. I am time that ever flies. I am day that ever dies. I am night that ever cries. I am fire, the sacrifice. I am air. I am a wood. I am a tree that in them stood. I am water. I am blood. I am evil. I am good. I am the way, the truth, the life. I am the husband and the wife. I am the flesh. I am the knife. I am the wound. I am the strife. I am the cup. I am the plate. I am the pencil and the slate. I am attrition. I am hate. I am early. I am late. I am the field, the cow, the hay, the lover-boy, the girls he lay, the orator, the speech, the sway, the baying hound, the fox at bay, the horse, the hoof, the dust, the clay, the stage, the scene, the part, the play, the job, the boss, the goods, the pay, the law, the life, the truth, the way. What else I am, I cannot say.