Friday, june 27, 2025

The name Desiderata comes from Latin and means ‘things desired’ or ‘essential’, an appropriate title for a poetic manifesto on how to live wisely and well.

Max Ehrmann (1872-1945) was an American poet and lawyer who studied philosophy and law at Harvard and worked in publishing and law before turning to writing full-time at the age of 40. Ehrmann wrote Desiderata in 1927, during the interwar period, a time when the world was reeling from World War I and unknowingly heading towards the Great Depression of 1929. His timeless advice for inner peace, authenticity and resilience is all the more remarkable in this context of uncertainty.

Interestingly, Desiderata was not well known during Ehrmann's lifetime. It became famous after his death, when it was erroneously claimed that it had been found in a 17th century church. This myth spread rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s, during the hippie movement, when many found in its words a balm for modern life.

Max Ehrmann described this poem as: “a word for the weary, to help inspire them with faith, hope and courage.” May it be so for you!

Credits: Recorded and produced by Gabriel Porras, voice artist and producer for gabrielvoice.com and radiantwhispers.com

Music: ‘Echo of Sadness’, by TURNIQUE. Bensound.com/royalty-free-music License code: DWVR885RV4DTZOFC

Cover design: By Ricardo Gil (scravricardo@gmail.com). Image created with AI on Freepik.com