Monday, February 12, 2018

A Valentine Poem For Writers



It's almost Valentine's Day, so why not have a red heart and a poem to head my post today? We have all seen numerous poems that begin with these first two lines but the last two are ones I'd not read as the ending to this long-known childhood poem. 

There's a lot of truth to what it tells us. You and I should be writing. I'm guessing we should be writing more than we manage most of the time. We have established the fact that, the more you write, the better writer you will become. It's that old practice makes perfect adage. 

So, why don't we write more than we do? Life! Yep, it tends to get in our way all too often but it's usually because we allow it to happen. It's up to us to set priorities. If you're serious about writing, that subject should be either at the top, or close to. 

Why do we let life put up roadblocks on our writing path? Sometimes, it's a handy excuse. Sometimes, we don't write out of fear that we won't come up with a winner. Sometimes, it' s because it's not easy. And sometimes, it's because our passion for writing has diminished. Therefore, letting life piling up on us is a perfect excuse. 

No one ever said every piece you write will be a winner. Nobody ever told you that writing was easy. There hasn't been anyone who robbed you of your passion for writing. We can't blame others.

All of the excuses we make are of our own making. All of the hard work we put in is what we create, too. It's just that simple. We are the masters of our life. We can let it slide off a cliff into an abyss or we can hold the reins and guide it to the destination we have strived to reach in the past. One word can describe what we need--self-discipline.

Repeat the following a few times, then follow directions: 

Roses are red
Violets are blue
You should be writing
And I should be, too

6 comments:

  1. Thank you! I needed to hear this today! It's so easy to convince oneself that it is something elusive that keeps the words from flowing, when really it's a choice. Moment by moment we are the authors of our lives. The choice to pick up the pen (or keyboard) is ours and ours alone. There are times when the well runs dry and the creative juices stop flowing, but for me it's largely avoidance. I never really know why, but I suspect it's fear of going to the heart of the matter. I will pin this poem on my computer screen and use it as a daily reminder to go where I fear to go. Happy Valentine's Day! Happy to discover your blog.

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    Replies
    1. I'm happy you found me, too. Hope you'll become a Follower and a regular reader.

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  2. Oh, Nancy, this is precious and so true. Thanks for the reminder (and nudge!)

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  3. I think we all need a nudge now and then. I know I do!

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Meet Ken Goetz, Writer and Blogger

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