Perfect?
You wish…
Practice makes flawed
as any perfectionist knows
– only less flawed
Practice makes desperate
as any perfectionist knows –
like the horizon
perfection stays without reach
Practice makes tired
as any perfectionist knows
the effort
is never rewarded
with the desired result
Practice makes angry
as any perfectionist knows
we don’t want to practice
we want perfection
NOW
tomorrow doesn’t count
Practice makes sad
as any perfectionist knows
we try
and fail
try
and fail
try
(once more, with feeling)
This is the first time I followed the prompt for OctPoWriMo. The prompt was perfectionism, and the writer of the prompt loves math. She inspired me to increase the number of lines one by one – and end with an imperfect extra line 😉 Any emotion you can feel in this poem is purely fictional. Perfectionism? Me? Never heard of it…
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I am going to send a friend to your link who is dealing with so many of these things due to the need for immediate and perfect results… thanks!
That’s wonderful, thank you!
This is so true! And I love these kinds of poems with repetition. It gives of emphasis and makes the poem simple but more powerful. Thank you!
Thanks Fida! I think it was my heart that entered the repitition, not even my brain.
I love your response to the prompt. It’s a great commentary on how we perfectionists feel.
Like a friend of mine wrote: “Perfection NOW? That’s pretty late, I want it yesterday”…
A sad truth!
Indeed Payal, though the comment of the recovering perfectionist shows that change is possible. There’s hope!
Funny I was thinking this morning that a perfectionist just might just be the makings of a highly stressed individual. :)- I like how you laid this out.
Thank you! And yes, perfectionism causes stress for sure.
:)-
…as any perfectionist knows. ^_^ Yep.
It takes one to know one 😉
I am a proudly recovering perfectionist. Life is so much sweeter on this side!! 🙂 Excellent work & a lot of relatability! I doubt that is a word but since I’m no longer acting as a perfectionist, I simply don’t care! 🙂
Poets can make up any word they want, it’s how they enrich life and enrich the language 🙂 Relatability is a perfect word, no matter what the dictionary says.
I’m recovering too. I’m not yet where I want to be, but I forbid myself to be perfectionistic about that (and forgive myself when I do).
IT’S A TRAP!
The repetition makes the point really nicely. 🙂
It is. It is. It is.
🙂
Thank you!
And a perfect write it is 🙂
Awww, now I want to hug you 🙂 Thanks!
Yes! Just yes! Less flawed. The ultimate frustration. It was all lovely but the first three full stanzas just captured my thoughts/feelings so perfectly…loved them.
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