Excellent epigraph of Emile Zola that gives life and meaning to your poem, @johnjgeddes. The artist must see his life this way! The artist and all men. Let life know that we pass through here, that in every path we tread our footprints remain, that every word we say is heard and felt, that echoes. Life cannot be a journey in which nothing happens to us and which does not leave us noises, marks. Because if nobody knew about us, if nobody felt us, nobody missed us, we were only fleeting, a simple breeze that nobody ever felt. Let's live out loud! Nice night, poet.
Thank you, Nancy - You may not know this, but for years I was a closet writer. I remember one time a colleague jokingly said, "Let's Google your name." There was no trace - no footsteps - no word of mine. That changed me and I grudgingly allowed myself afterwards to be known - no pseudnym - no nom de plume - I allowed myself to leave a mark on humanity's cave wall :)