do we all
do this,
that gasp
of surprise
at those words he threads
delicate as silk
through a pen that must
flash like a needle
stitching images
& the colors
she weaves on the screen,
light breaking
through those fingertips
that poet
who sings
such clarity;
who shines
& sparks electric
beauty
& forms worlds
in words
caught on the screen
or the page
while I sit here
shuffling phrases
like a deck of tarot cards
a charlatan
pulling cards out
at random
hoping none
come out reversed
in the telling
because I am always
writing backwards
& under water
(or do I mean ink
comes so fast
I fear drowning
in it)
like everyone else
I read
to write better
& do not understand
why anyone
reads my fledgling flights
at all
when they already soar
***do we all do this?
Susan Daniels Poetry 
I wonder…
I think we do. I was talking to an AMAZING poet last night/early this morning, and she brushed off her work as nothing special, no big deal. Prompted this piece.
Exactly!!!
Yes, I think we do this, all of us…please, one of you disagree with me and tell me you know you are “that good.”
I guess, we do 🙂
Man–I was hoping for one disagreeing party…
I think that we do.
I am starting to think so…not one dissent yet.
We sure do.. The writing is not in the reading, it’s in the soul. Your beautiful soul.
yours, too, Ken, Jeremy, George, Dawn’s Stalker (sorry don’t know your name yet), Karin, and everyone else who comments…It seems we cannot see the beauty in our own souls, but in everyone else’s.
There are exceptions, I’m sure, but I would think most of us have trouble judging and appreciating our own efforts; we desire affirmation or praise but when we get it we might then wonder, “what really qualifies this person to say my poem was beautiful, etc…”
Leo, you are spot on, I think.
mmm kinda scary that no one is saying nay. i am guilty as charged… crap crap
Yeah–waiting for someone to say–NO! I KNOW I’m good, dammit…
there ya go.. YOU ARE GOOD and YOU KNOW IT.. you just said it
lol, does not count, was an example–but David stepped up to the plate!
I have my moments of self-doubt and abject humility in awe of so many others, but this is balanced by other moments of self-confidence bordering on hubris.
Oh, thank you, thank you David. Nice to see at least one of us has faith (well-placed, too) in his abilities–at least sometimes!
and hubris be damned! Props to you for being the first to show a little healthy self-appreciation.
Thanks – I try to keep things balanced but unless I tap into that wellspring of self-assuredness I’d just give up. I probably keep my moments of self-doubt to well under 10%.
But it makes me humble to read your outpouring of creativity I have to say.
David–again thanking you, and your comments are a great encouragement.
I have these moments too but I read a lot so I can get better at writing my words ~
Happy day to you ~
Thanks for commenting, Grace 🙂
I would love to disagree but I feel my stuff is rushed hazy and never reworked, which is why I bought a book to re focus me
Wow, Ian–if this is you rushed and hazy, if you do focus, you will melt my brain, you are that good already.
The only poems of mine I rate highly are one my own picks page everything else is just practice to me 🙂
well, I really, really like your warm-ups then.
True !!!
Yes–starting to think we all do this…
love this one susan. stanza with the tarot cards was my favorite. poems about the process and or in conjunction with poets themselves always appreciate:))
Thanks, Don!
I’m not even certain the most renowned think themselves good. Octavia Butler claimed writers made through effort and persistence (paraphrasing) and I’d add a lot of self-doubt. Something pushes us to shape and hone what we create, and that is the perception ‘it can be better’.
So right…
I often feel like a charlatan:) But which one of us doesn’t from time to time?
Yes…I think we are always trying to do better.