The "Mea Culpa" Thread

[FifthFlower]

I Figured Out What Sucking Means

Though some dude said, "I think, therefore I am,"
He should have said, "I die, therefore I suck."
So, while alive and lazy, I will strive
To wildly love each twist while thinking of
You, there by me, enjoying every fuck.

 

[clutching_calliope]

oh my goodness I cannot believe you of all people suffer from the imposter syndrome!

we should start a support group. it might be the only group to which I feel I truely belong lol. No imposters allowed.

the imposter syndrome

I.

I run through the words
until the end of the page
maybe if I typefastenough
they will not recognize the poet
has no clothes
this poet
has no lines
it is corn on the cob again tonight
and the click flicker glow of metal on my mailbox
fake it fake it
is all I do
until the title rings true


II.

yes I vacation on this side of sentimental
corn syrup chokes
get me some water to wash it down
I swore I would never burn a ring of fire
around my town
to keep your spirit away
instead
I use this syrup
sticky sweet toxin
it tastes of faking it
it tastes of faking it
but you see right through
and walk away

You're so awesome. I'll take minutes at the first meeting and then we can talk about how not qualified I am to take them. (As an example, I spelt qualifies seriously wrong on the first attempt).

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

I knew there was a thread like this somewhere (thank you Tzara).

If I were to be seriously critical of my stuff I'd say it is precious.

Interesting word, "precious".

The COD defines it in four ways -

Precious (adj)

- having great value
- considerable (you know precious little about……)
- affectedly concerned with elegant or refined language
- a term of endearment to a beloved

My poetry can hardly be considered to be of great value, definitions 2 and 4 are not applicable. That leaves affectedly concerned with elegant or refined language. and it suddenly occurred to me, as I read "Atonement" by Ian McEwen, that it describes my poetry perfectly.

Try as I might I don't seem able to change my ways. If I were to make audio versions I fear my accent would make it sound even more pretentious. I suppose I'm doomed to heave that preciousness up the hill for ever.

 

[TMV]

Mea Culpa...., that's a rough one.

Not that I'm so imginatively perfect, or even the finest social creature. But to find a flaw in this, that I have constantly made mis-steps in my life. But yet I have taken the time to learn from them.

Mea Culpa..., how about the fact that I deeply desire to be one of the group. And yet somehow, wind up always being seperate from the group. How about the fact that I want to contribute honestly. And yet, I bristle every time some flawed critic has the audacity to tell me that I missed the "well-traveled path".

Mea Culpa..., that I am a rebel that wants acceptance and bitterly finds himself outside the norm. Because I dare to think diferently. It's not something that I choose. It is my character. My identity. Mea Culpa..., I have no control over my nature.

 

[Tzara]

I knew there was a thread like this somewhere (thank you Tzara).

You're very welcome, sweet.

If I were to be seriously critical of my stuff I'd say it is precious.

Well, you're wrong. It isn't. At all.

OK, I think we're done here. Go on back to writing poems, missy.

 

[Liar]

I don't take it seriously.
I'm satisfied with "good enough".
I don't edit.
I find it difficult to be concrete.
I use the word "this" much too much.

 

[EriAliSaa]

I use words to give only the slightest glimpse of who I am, but I do it in a way that keeps everyone at arms length. I make myself more distant by becoming obtuse and using generalities.

 

[annaswirls]

This is a big post, TMV, good for you! If I may be so bold, I think the main reason you feel outside of the norm because you feel out of the norm.... you think differently but so does everyone. Don't think yourself so different and you will not be. Does that make sense? You know your mind like no one else ever will, but you do not know mine or anyone's like you think you do, and that is why you do not see us as not like you.

People here (or anywhere) do not just get along because they are all the same, because they aren't. It is easy to put characteristics on any group of people.

Don't get my wrong, that there is nothing wrong with being different, of course, it is our differences that make groups of people strong and interesting, but it is a mistake to continually put yourself, in your mind, on the outside of any group, because if that is where you put yourself that is where you will be, unless that is where you want to be...,

One of the greatest "different" thinkers here was smithpeter (etc) His work was not easily interpreted, his mind worked differently than anyone I knew, however, he fit in because he was kind, did not judge others or throw insults in defence of his work, which did get criticism from many people, but was accepted and loved by many as well. But as a person, he was well accepted into the group because of his personality.... even though that personality was unique and different than others.

Best wishes!

And of course you have control over your nature just as much as anyone. We are the the only ones who do.

Not that I'm so imginatively perfect, or even the finest social creature. But to find a flaw in this, that I have constantly made mis-steps in my life. But yet I have taken the time to learn from them.

Mea Culpa..., how about the fact that I deeply desire to be one of the group. And yet somehow, wind up always being seperate from the group. How about the fact that I want to contribute honestly. And yet, I bristle every time some flawed critic has the audacity to tell me that I missed the "well-traveled path".

Mea Culpa..., that I am a rebel that wants acceptance and bitterly finds himself outside the norm. Because I dare to think diferently. It's not something that I choose. It is my character. My identity. Mea Culpa..., I have no control over my nature.

 

[Tathagata]

too descriptive sometimes
too vague others
i hate to rewrite, i will edit a word at a time, it may take months
even then, once submitted i am still not satisfied.

Other things I will not edit at all if I feel they capture
" the moment"
years later when I come across them again all i see is how much I've changed since then, the poem usually disgusts me.

I refuse to take my writing " seriously" to the point it becomes work, that is the death knell for creativity, in my case at least.

All through school I was told i was not " working to my potential" and I was " capable of much more"
Probably true, but I'm satisfied with where I am, I have no great ambition, and others sometimes read that as lazy.
I think that comes through in my stuff sometimes

I very rarely think anything I write is " great"
and if i do, the general public doesn't always agree
which fosters lots of doubt, when I bother to think about it.


I can write silly sing song rhyme, but form poetry, with the exception of haiku, scares the shit out of me, and I'm no good at it at all.

 

[annaswirls]

My writing confessions.

I generally sit down to write and think that I have nothing to say, which is generally true-- I forget that it is the process that matters not the product and that mysteries are unveiled AS I write not before.

I rarely have a plan of any kind.

I do not trust myself.

I have an overinflated, almost parental apreciation of my writing, rarely, but sometimes, which rapidly falls into discust.

Sometimes I forget that love really is not always the answer and when it is, I do not let it speak.

Sometimes I forget to leave out all those pesky extra words.

I forget love is not always the answer.
I forget to leave out extra words.

I have fallen out of love with poetry, there is no longer the toe tingling high and obsession, but there is still love, but more of a responsibility? I have not written much lately, and I do not feel guilty about it at all nor remorseful. I used to feel badly for people on writing hiatus or with writer's block, but I don't anymore, I have grown up about that, I know that there is so much beyond the falling in love stage of writing, and so much more to life than poetry and being noticed.

 

[Bill Dada]

I have nothing to say and my writing sucks. As a result of those strengths I keep my writing short (like I have a say in that) so to inflict as little pain on the reader as possible.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Not that I'm so imginatively perfect, or even the finest social creature. But to find a flaw in this, that I have constantly made mis-steps in my life. But yet I have taken the time to learn from them.

Mea Culpa..., how about the fact that I deeply desire to be one of the group. And yet somehow, wind up always being seperate from the group. How about the fact that I want to contribute honestly. And yet, I bristle every time some flawed critic has the audacity to tell me that I missed the "well-traveled path".

Mea Culpa..., that I am a rebel that wants acceptance and bitterly finds himself outside the norm. Because I dare to think diferently. It's not something that I choose. It is my character. My identity. Mea Culpa..., I have no control over my nature.

I admire you for this brave nakedness.

 

[WynEternal]

I have no discipline to finish the works I start. I fear rejection as a writer, so I let that fear control me. My self-confidance is tied to my fear.

There is no need for physical punishment -- my mental flagellation is far worse than anything that can be done to my body.
Oh, and I can't seem to stop trying to rhyme.