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Flaws
How are the flaws as important as the beauty marks?
We seek perfection only to find the real value is in sharing the flaws,
learning to walk in the light of those scars that add depth to the soul,
inculcating the compassion necessary to grow as human beings.
Without flaws, there is no depth to the soul.
Perfection is our puny attempt to emulate the divine,
a feat that is never achievable and destined to break our spirit.
So share the flaws that allow the bonds of friendship and love,
infuse the compassion and integrate the knowledge
necessary to forgive the narrow and prejudicial lack of inspiration,
that breaks the mortal boundaries and reaches for the eternal.
Give us strength to forgive and build a new bridge across the gulf
that heals all wounds and lights a path of joy unabridged,
for that is our destiny
Comments
weirdelf
Sat, 2016-09-10 09:58
William, you have asked me about the difference
between poetic prose and poetry. Read this and tell me if there is any real difference to what you posted-
How are the flaws as important as the beauty marks? We seek perfection only to find the real value is in sharing the flaws, learning to walk in the light of those scars that add depth to the soul, inculcating the compassion necessary to grow as human beings. Without flaws, there is no depth to the soul. Perfection is our puny attempt to emulate the divine, a feat that is never achievable and destined to break our spirit. So share the flaws that allow the bonds of friendship and love, infuse the compassion and integrate the knowledge necessary to forgive the narrow and prejudicial lack of inspiration, that breaks the mortal boundaries and reaches for the eternal. Give us strength to forgive and build a new bridge across the gulf that heals all wounds and lights a path of joy unabridged, for that is our destiny.
It's just less readable because it looks like prose, right? Otherwise no difference.
Rhyme is the least of your concerns. Poetry is about saying less to mean more. It involves learning some of the devices of poetry to make your language sound more potent/musical/magical whatever.
How can I give you specific advice on how to do that? Well, I spent many years in academic study. It didn't make me a better poet but it did teach me to write better poetry.
You can learn without all that work. Just try to make every word count and listen to your own poetry aloud.
Experiment with the meter (rhythm) of your words. Try words that sound better strung together. Use less words.
Find some famous poets from different times and styles that you like and read them and try to work out what makes those poems work for you.
Above all read poems here on Neopoet, tell the poet what you think of the poem, honestly, this will teach you a lot about yourself and help others.
I hope this helps,
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
Vivovon
Sat, 2016-09-10 14:48
good definition
I like wierdelf's comment, "Poetry is about saying less to mean more." Always, I will keep this in my mind. It is a very concise account of poetry. I would like you to read my poems as well. Thank you.
xxxxx
Vivovon
Sat, 2016-09-10 14:09
Reminds me of a Tagore's poem
Poetic proses.
It reminds me of Rabindranath Tagore's poem, verse 35 of "gitanjali" (http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/tagore/gitnjali.htm and https://archive.org/stream/gitanjalisongoff00tagouoft/gitanjalisongoff00...).
It is a translation of Tagore himself from the original Bengali. It is poetic prose because it is a translation to mirror the Bengali poems. The Togore's poems are very musical and have a place in the classic category known as Tagore Sangeet (eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSGcFYB6gVs)
35
WHERE the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action―
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
xxxxx
China Blue
Sun, 2016-09-11 11:27
Will
.I like your word usage it is obvious you are well learned .thought provoking indeed
Chrys
Let your mercy spill on all these burning hearts in hell(Leonard Cohen)
Sommer Lyn
Sun, 2016-09-11 15:31
More refinement in the
More refinement in the economy of your language can create a more powerful piece, however I think the topic is a beautiful and poignant one - and one that captures my imagination, I see more beauty in the distinguishing characteristics of 'flaw' than in the repetitive nature of 'perfection'. Thank you for this, all-in-all it's a thoughtful piece.