FamousNaomi Shihab Nye

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The river is famous to the fish

The loud voice is famous to silence, The loud voice is famous to silence, which knew it would inherit the earth which knew it would inherit the earth

before anybody said sobefore anybody said so

The cat sleeping on the fence is The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds famous to the birds watching him from the birdhousewatching him from the birdhouse

The tear is famous, The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheekbriefly, to the cheek

The idea you carry close to The idea you carry close to your bosom is famous to your bosom is famous to your bosomyour bosom

The boot is The boot is famous to the famous to the earth, earth, more famous more famous than the dress than the dress shoe, shoe, which is which is famous to the famous to the floorsfloors

The bent photograph is famous to the The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it and not at all one who carries it and not at all famous to the one who is picturedfamous to the one who is pictured

I want to be I want to be famous to famous to shuffling men shuffling men who smile while who smile while crossing streets, crossing streets, sticky children sticky children in grocery lines, in grocery lines, famous, as the famous, as the one who smiled one who smiled backback

I want to be famous in the way I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous, or a buttonhole, not because a pulley is famous, or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular, it did anything spectacular, but because it never forgot what it could dobut because it never forgot what it could do

Creative Commons Images Retrieved From

http://www.flickr.com/otos/fabricavenue/2505983001/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kuzeytac/3341605323/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/odtaa/3710041181/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suburbanvoodoo/214580120/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/3372340759/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fortphoto/460160694/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/leilit/361345200/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/-lucie-/2422470833/