the disguised psalm

[Steve Wilcox]

[Geoffrey]

not a single comment after a whole day? 24 disappointing hours; how on earth do you cope with the rejection? what does that make you think, steve? are you man enough to confess your frustration or disillusionment? well, silence can also speak, it tells you that you are a zero, an absolutely irrelevant piece of meat that's just in everybody's way. can you feel the bitterness bubbling up inside you yet? well, maybe not exactly right now, but eventually it will take its toll. a man uses his intellectual creativity to write a piece of literature, a decent poem in this case, he presents it for public opinion and what response does he get? that's right - zilch! how nice it would have felt even if just one solitary person had given a little feedback. just a "great!" would have sufficed - some small hint that at least one person out of the eight billion had acknowledged that you exist. how good it feels to get praise, it even feels slightly good to get criticism; but to get nothing, to be totally ignored as you are experiencing now - well, that can surely be painful. you will not admit that publicly, of course - nobody does, because showing one's feelings mean you stand naked, and that is not socially acceptable. i tell you "don't worry, steven!" use this experience to make yourself stronger. see it as a challenge. the world is not a pleasant place full of kind people, there is no such thing as a free dinner - you have to work for it, and damned hard. if you truly desire to be recognised, if you harbour a serious and genuine dream of becoming someone other than a plain grey mouse, a nondescript member of a vast ocean of plankton that follows leaders, you have a slight chance of achieving success. don't be put off by the apathy and indifference of the silent masses who populate the environment. they are just spiritless bipeds, blinkered zombies walking in circles who have never possessed an original thought in their entire lives. these are the people you talk about who have "tongues with no words upon its flesh". you can spend hours working on a poem, days even, and do they put value onto it, or say "thank you"? fact is, dear steven, they couldn't care less, simply don't give a damn. is this really the type of crowd you want to mix with? you are invisible to them, nothing but air. these are simple-minded yokels that if you meet them and start talking about anything other than banal smalltalk they will put their hand in their pockets, look up at the sky, pucker their lips and start whistling. good luck to you, and i hope this helps

[Gullivor]

As of now this poem has 85 views of the view counter. 85 people are interested. I know I am interested but I am unqualified to comment with no formal education in writing. I have no experience with the technical terms of poetry. So I can not give feedback...perhaps everyone else here is the same way? I doubt it though and perhaps Geoffery is right.

For me to like a poem it has to first appeal to me. For a poem to really appeal to me I have to understand it. It has to intimately speak to me. If it intimately speaks to me than what really is left to say? I have heard it said before that everyone gets something different from a poem, I agree. I even think Leonard said one time that you throw it out there and let everyone let it mean to them what it will....he said something like that.

Anyways,
This poem "the disguised psalm" appeals to me! I know who wrote it or maybe just who inspired it, but it is disguised so it is not for me to tell., and if I did tell most wouldn't believe me anyways. Steve knows and I know and I suspect a few other know too! So that automatically makes this poem a hit in my book. Singing for the highest!

This poem or psalm speaks to me of happiness. Of real happiness! Happiness that can not be found in pride. Happiness that can not be found in money. Happiness that can not be found in fame. Happiness that can not be found in power. A happiness that is easily found by the lowly. As I grow stronger the more I have to work for lowliness. Its easy to get distracted when you think your the one in control.
https://youtu.be/80tX5MLX8QY?t=18s

Well done Steve Wilcox! Well done. Even if others don't agree with me or even you...well done!

[Geoffrey]

excellent response, gullivor, far better than mine.

[Steve Wilcox]

Gullivor,

Never ever say or think you are "unqualified to comment with no formal education in writing". Here's why: It is very common for me to write a poem and know it is finished and still not know what it means.

When I read your notes, that the poem "speaks of . . . real happiness! Happiness that can not be found in pride. Happiness that can not be found in money. Happiness that can not be found in fame. Happiness that can not be found in power. A happiness that is easily found by the lowly. As I grow stronger the more I have to work for lowliness", I thought, yeh, that's what it means. It's a mix of the original source material with a good dose of Daoism. So your comments about happiness, power, and the "lowly" definitely resonate with the Daoist perspective.

Thanks.

[Sideways]

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[Sideways]

ironing semi-final 1998.jpg (7.9 KiB) Viewed 2052 times

I hope you had a good Dao, Steve/Geoffrey. I went to the shops this morning, then I came back, and yet, in so many ways, I am still there.

[Steve Wilcox]

Sideways, and a good day/dao to you too. Funny, all the sudden I feel like doing laundry