Letting The Words Speak – Escaping The Prison of One Dimensionality
I’m becoming one dimensional
My life consumed by a narrowing focus
No pleasure found errantly
Only the pain of constant recollection
The yoke heavy upon my back
I’ve stopped growing spiritually
Letting the anger of past transgressions
Encapsulate everything and everything
And continuing with more everything
Like a phonograph record ending
I’ve abandoned creativity
Instead nestling into the safety
Of my same repetitiveness
Where the words come out differently
But the premise remains unchanged
I’m convincing myself otherwise
Believing that I’m saying different things
Adding all the right bridges
Crossing the rivers and valleys
Only to find myself in circles
I’ve become oblivious
To the repetition in my words
And without any criticism or comment
Perhaps I’ll remain trapped forever
In my own private complacency
Who among you will challenge me?
Tell me that I’m trapped in a bubble
Prod me with a sharp pencil to move forward
Explore new parchments
Take a risk I’m not comfortable taking
Or will you keep praising me for my sameness?
High accolades for more of the same
Yes, it will feed my need for acceptance
But like the repetition, it’s a mere façade
Temporary walls with an expiration date
Who will join me in my quest for light?
Pounding away at the walls of this one dimension
Watching the golden rays spill through the cracks
Bathing my stylus in a new color palate
Anticipating whatever might happen
Grasping at dormant stationary
Pulling tales of wonderment and beauty from the air
Not stopping to think about my bubble
Not caring about my cause
Simply letting the words speak
One Dimension
Abstractly looking at ourselves and our works, many writers find themselves churning out the same thing, time after time. Regardless of the success this approach results in, I encourage everyone to seek out new styles, new words, and find new ways to present their ideas.
- When We Lost Control - October 13, 2025
- The Crumbling Space Around Me - October 10, 2025
- Sorrow - October 9, 2025
I will challenge you, Ralph. You may be in a state of self-doubt, however, even though I know you are a master of words and great poet, this is something you have to go through. You are Walking On The Dark Side and need to face / confront your demons.
http://www.creativeexiles.com/2016/04/walking-dark-side-without/
I’m not in a state of anything – I wrote this in first person just to catch people’s attention. Plus, the dark side is just another playground in my opinion…he he he
Oh! You caught me, Ralph. I was ready for a good challenge. LOL I agree: the dark side is another playground.
Let’s see who else takes the bait…all I had to do was not post for about a week and then put this piece up!
So true Ralph, and it is so easy to fall into a mold we ourselves have made. As a writer one must stretch the limits of what we believe we can do, and as you say try new approaches, new structures. But in the end, as long as true creativity lives within a work, the rest is irrelevant. My muse is my connection to creativity; its taken me years to hone it and master its use, but I can write fluently any time day or night and it only stops when I want it to. So, each work I write is different in some way, as I let it flow through me, and not try to achieve anything. That’s my process anyway. You are perhaps a little harsh on yourself Ralph, but a valid point my friend. Cheers!
Ralph,
Profound words, indeed. Complacency or apathy is not a desired attitude for myself. I would like to join you “in the quest for light”! Amen.
Thank you!