Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Nov PAD Poem #21


I'm ever so slowly catching up on the November PAD Poetry Chapbook Challenge through Writer's Digest. The poems I'm posting are extremely rough--first drafts really--but they're a start.

So this 21st Poem is the Nov Pad Day 20 Prompt: write a "what's wrong or right" poem. I've been spinning lately around the idea of perfectionism, of needing to be right in my mind and thus in my poems. So here 'tis:

Being Right
I need it--
I don't know why.
But this need to be right-
is harmful, destructive;
pride in its most elemental form.
It's as if my entire world
will crumble into dank nothingness
if I am proven wrong.
I wrap myself in this rightness,
a protective sheathing
that holds me together,
letting nothing in,
allowing nothing out.
It causes me to be alone--
unhurt, untouched, untouchable.
It's pride...and fear:
a stunning fear that
buzzes my brain--
fear of others' opinions,
fear of losing the grip on myself,
fear of not having the answer
when I don't know the question.


Copyright 2010 by Susanne Barrett

I'm not really sure of what this poem means--I wrote it without thinking consciously, just allowing pen to fill page. I think that sometimes truth is told under these rare circumstances.

Writing the perhaps truth,

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