Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Don't look down.

Before I start this post let me give a little back story. In sixth grade I discovered poetry. I don't remember if it was forced upon me in school or what, but I was instantly in love. I loved reading it and even more I loved writing it. And all through middle school and high school whenever I had a crush on a boy, a fight with my parents, a good day with my friends or anything else memorable in my life, I turned it into a poem. I had a whole freaking book of them.

However, my poetry writing sort of faded away as I was in college and was instead replaced by keeping a journal. I really had no need for poems when I got there, I just wanted to remember everything as it happened and not as some rhyme fest of emotions.

But eventually that changed and I needed poetry again. I remember I went to a dance recital at school and with the programs they handed out this poem with it and I was inspired. Inspired to write something simple with meaning, something with unforced rhymes, something that would make other people think. So the next semester I signed up for poetry writing and had that poem taped to the inside of my binder the whole time....

Flash forward to three days ago when I was cleaning stuff up in my room and I found the poem, still taped to my binder looking over all the poems I wrote that year. And I still loved it. So no, I'm not sharing one of my poems but I will share the poem that inspired me. It's simple and almost sad, but it makes you think and that's what I like most about it. So here goes, hope you like it:

20 years on a tightrope

twenty years on a tightrope
under a canvas sky,
to please a crowd of green gorillas
while i walk and cry,
and nearly fall from dizziness,
and nearly die from loneliness,
but always seeking happiness,
under a canvas sky.
but i'll be walking ninety years,
slipping, calling, never falling,
only feeling the fear of falling,
only feeling the fear to die,
to please a crowd of green gorillas
under a canvas sky.

-bill dickey

6 comments:

The Ex said...

I love it. I love the part about always this and always that. Very inspirational.

B2G said...

I love the "under a canvas sky" repeating line. Thanks for sharing this!

Anonymous said...

Those inspirational moments are so beautiful, thank you for sharing!

Julie Q said...

very cool katelin! one of these days i will go to my house and try to find some posting inspiration! cos stuff from the past is always a great way to learn about someone

Anonymous said...

I love when I come across something that inspires me to be better, think better, feel better... It is so good you still had that poem and you can look back and remember.

LBIC said...

I came across an old receipt with a poem I'd written on it years ago and had to smile. It's good revisiting things sometimes, especially things that have inspired us.