Do You Feel The Same Way Too? Poem by Michael Shepherd
Do You Feel The Same Way Too?
I’ve just written to a friend and said
‘I’ve just written a poem
which I would have given my life
to have written.’…
and then sat and looked at
what I’d written –
wondering whether
that was what I really meant..
(and, faintly, contemplating
whether a thunderbolt
straight from Justice central
might strike me there and then…)
or whether I’d retreated into
some private world of self-delusion..
or whether I had reached the height
of mortal bliss.. as perhaps some ‘real’ poet might…
when on the scales of life-for-life
or perhaps, eternity,
I was offering humbly, in exchange
for all I have received, all
that my soul could offer…
discarding all the burdens of the past,
disregarding any thoughts of future life,
living in the present, like a child does,
as, glorious, the present presently moves on
from freedom into freedom… tell me,
do you feel the same way too?
yep. And I THINK I was the friend you'd just written to. Haven't gotten to 'Rumi 41' yet, though. No time now.
So much complexity opens out of an innocent statement of appreciation. And such modesty too, which drags you too far into 'self-delusion'. If you're not a poet Michael, then it would be very difficult for most 'poets' to justifiably lay claim to that appellation. For their sakes if nothing else, you should put your hands up and admit yourself to the club - though I'd agree if you thought Cort Day should be excluded because of the exhibit produced earlier by SJG! This is high quality reflective thinking and an excellent poem into the bargain. And to be able to live that way 'like a child does' well that would be worth a pretty serious bit of bargaining, but how much self awareness would we have to part with to seal the deal... the fruit of the tree of good and evil can't be uneaten, but if it could, would we? The best to you, jim
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/27/2024 7:30:29 AM # 1.0.0.1119
I can't say how many times I have pressed the 'submit' button with 'Eureka' forming on my lips. Forty revisions later it's almost OK.