"devin" poems - Hello Poetry

It’s not a ranking or an achievement As if far from the “top.” It’s an advancement Starting from the “first place”; The greater magnitude being a positive progression. It’s not even a race in the “first place.” A dual-digit place marker can and should indicate you’re moving forward. At this point, you meet the requirements and criteria For adult access to many sights, tastes, And times. Of course, that’s not the ultimate cause of celebration For being in [the] “23rd place.” When you’re in [the] 23rd place, you’re in a comfortable position And not necessarily at a crucial extremum of attention. There will be those behind and those in front, So, though you keep your own pace nevertheless, To know you’re no longer in first place, Yet not in last place of your course of path, Means that you have some to teach And still some who may offer pointers, tips, tricks, inspirations, And the gift of encounter, however brief or long. There are many who long to be in first place or last place Because the extrema tend to get the recognition. The important insight is to recognize that, not only do the numbers matter little, But you can make them stand out, like the number 23. There’s random selection, too, amid those spontaneous humor-goers, And then there’s placement and fixation With purpose, sincerity, and intention. You’re 23 not solely based on record Or coincidence; You’re 23 because you lived out the previous age In every way: what you missed, what you learned, what you offered, And what you planted. On your birthday and every day, The newness longed for arrives in a time not desired or unwanted, But at a time just right, which still causes waves of pain and waves of relief Across space anyway. Happy Birthday Devin! You’re in [your] 23rd place! Celebrate this checkpoint!

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Sep 22, 2018

Sep 22, 2018 at 11:04 AM UTC

brian-mc-donagh-1

23rd Place

It’s not a ranking or an achievement As if far from the “top.” It’s an advancement Starting from the “first place”; The greater magnitude being a positive progression. It’s not even a race in the “first place.” A dual-digit place marker can and should indicate you’re moving forward. At this point, you meet the requirements and criteria For adult access to many sights, tastes, And times. Of course, that’s not the ultimate cause of celebration For being in [the] “23rd place.” When you’re in [the] 23rd place, you’re in a comfortable position And not necessarily at a crucial extremum of attention. There will be those behind and those in front, So, though you keep your own pace nevertheless, To know you’re no longer in first place, Yet not in last place of your course of path, Means that you have some to teach And still some who may offer pointers, tips, tricks, inspirations, And the gift of encounter, however brief or long. There are many who long to be in first place or last place Because the extrema tend to get the recognition. The important insight is to recognize that, not only do the numbers matter little, But you can make them stand out, like the number 23. There’s random selection, too, amid those spontaneous humor-goers, And then there’s placement and fixation With purpose, sincerity, and intention. You’re 23 not solely based on record Or coincidence; You’re 23 because you lived out the previous age In every way: what you missed, what you learned, what you offered, And what you planted. On your birthday and every day, The newness longed for arrives in a time not desired or unwanted, But at a time just right, which still causes waves of pain and waves of relief Across space anyway. Happy Birthday Devin! You’re in [your] 23rd place! Celebrate this checkpoint!