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mouses in houses Jul 2015
If there is so many people in this world, why are some of us left alone?
If words can move you to faraway places
or open your heart as you read,
or sit in your mind
for hours at a time
It's poetry

If you rhyme or compose at every suggestion
of things that you hear or you see,
or if there's an obsession to write it all down
It's poetry

If you put down your fork on its way to your mouth
so you can pick up a pen
and jot down a note,
you are definitely a poet too.
(Courtesy of:  Mike Essig)

If you think that you're different
You are

If you wonder about
or have any doubt
of whether or not you're a poet
You are
(Whether you like it or not)
(Thanks to HP poet  Mike Essig for the added line)
mouses in houses May 2015
When you have a friend who lives miles away, in a different country, in a different city it has it's lows. Mainly, the lowest times are being unable to meet up with them whenever you want, when you're having a rough day they aren't there to comfort you or wipe away your tears or watch your favourite comedy sitcom with you which is why when I'm prime-minster I'm relocating the entire human population into a 10,000,000 story skyscraper that acts as a bridge from the earth to the moon which brings together friends, families and lovers.
"If some people like your painting, fine.
If some don't, well, there's the door.

Take your work seriously
But don't take yourself seriously

Paint for yourself
Enjoy yourself"

I was watching a show on PBS today
"The Beauty of Oil Painting" with Gary & Kathwren Jenkins

Gary said this and I marveled at how much this echoed the attitude we should cultivate when writing poetry.
I think we could also consider writing poetry as a painting of sorts
  May 2015 mouses in houses
Flame Robin
one two three four five
here it comes again
one two three four five
but why is she surprised
one two three four five
(they said the counting would help)
one two three four five
“look in the mirror”
one two three four five
“tree trunk thighs / stomach expanding like the universe”
one two three four five
outside doesn’t matter (they said)
one two three four five
“eyes too wide / nose too long / lips don’t close”
one two three
so she can’t stop the words pouring out in heart-piercing whispers
one two
“ugly / unlovable / unkissable / unfriendable”
one
maybe one day she’d pour enough ugly out to be size
zero
I spent my life
trying to please my family

It didn't work

I spent my life trying to
Please others


I spent my life......
Be yourself
mouses in houses May 2015
Bad news is:

You cannot make people like, love, understand, validate, accept or be nice to you. You can't control them either.


Good news is:

It doesn't matter.
be kind to yourself
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