Barefoot Writer

My feet bare and cold but my pen is still warm

Been penniless at times, but not for long-term

 

The daily grind requires opening my mind

Some days I can see, on others I’m blind

 

My world requires imagination, and no set of rules

The weaving of words; not taught in school

 

A pencil my needle, some paper the thread

Thoughts in my head; I’ll seek to embed

 

It starts with a stich, with a knot on the end

Hopefully completed with a, “well penned”

 

But the case in point is not always true

Despite being creative and something brand new

 

For readers are fickle; just as the writer

Finding perfect words, lines that are tighter

 

Verses that flow like a sweet harmony

Being careful they don’t come across formally

 

And the rhyming, the rhyming, it becomes such a puzzle

It a balancing act; like standing on a bubble

 

So we think and reach deep in our memories

The writer’s vocabulary is much like a treasury

 

And often when the verse is done

We reread it and see its overdone and no fun

 

Delete, erase, or crumple the page

Falling back to its development age

 

Again with more words and phrases, and rhymes

And this might happen a hundred more times

 

For our craft, our life, it’s laced with perfection

As we’re not always sure of upcoming dissections

 

Butterflies in our bellies as we hit publish or send

Hoping the readers will see what we intend

 

But more often than naught, the views are low

We sigh and wonder how far we must go

 

To pen the perfect verse, the one that everyone would read

With the balance of drama, romance, and hope that they need

 

To fill in the spaces where life only leaves clues

This is my wish, along with some shoes…

R J Schwartz
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R J Schwartz

I write about everything and sometimes nothing at all. I'm fascinated by old things, rusty things, abandoned places, or anywhere that a secret might be unearthed. I'm passionate about history and many of my pieces are anchored in one concept of time or another. I've always been a writer, dating back to my youth, but the last decade has been a time of growth for me. I'm continually pushing the limitations of vocabulary, syntax, and descriptive phrasing.

4 thoughts on “Barefoot Writer

  • January 19, 2018 at 9:35 PM
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    Well penned and thought-provoking Ralph, as we all consider how readers will respond to our musings, but in the end the perfection we seek is within us, not from the judgement of readers. The art we seek to master is never easy, and it takes many years to be in control of that fickle pen. Whether of not people understand of relate is up to individuals, and all we can do is try to better our work and its depth.

  • January 20, 2018 at 8:25 PM
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    In our minds Ralph no matter what we write it never is good enough – we just keep writing and hoping that those that read our words will smile, cry, and ponder our meaning even if it is just for a few seconds. Nice piece my friend.

  • January 21, 2018 at 1:58 PM
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    A very thought provoking write Ralph.. I can very well relate to almost everything you have written..the butterflies when I hit the publish button, the anxiety as to how my writing would be viewed and whether someone would be kind enough to read and give a feedback..and I keep on editing for a long time even after I publish..lol…thank you so much for sharing your words which I guess pass through most writers’ mind..enjoyed reading…

  • January 24, 2018 at 8:11 AM
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    Amazing piece Ralph. I think we all relate to this well thought out piece my friend. I too get the butterfly gut when hitting publish, thinking will they like it, can they get the mood I was trying to set, do they understand the lesson I was trying to push, can they feel the tension I had in my pen while writing this verse. Then I think to myself does that even rhyme, or is it a sad attempt at rhyming. I think the biggest kick in the pants is when you put in so much effort trying to pen the perfect verse and it falls way short of your expectations. Awesome piece thank you for sharing.

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