Sunday, January 13, 2013

Growing Up

Unborn Unto Oblivion

Stu opened up the D'verse floor for his Poetics night at the pub with the question of Growing up.  Really a lot of ways one could tackle this theme and I highly recommend going over to D'Verse and checking out Stu's excellent article and all the incredible pieces shared by the poets there, of which, we'd all love to read what your response would be.  So, if you get the inspiration, simply compose your own poem on Growing up and then follow the link guidelines to join on in.


Growing up,
Is the combination of innovation and experience
Growing up,
is but a step by step approach to a paint by numbers scheme

Growing up,
Is everything you've never seen and all you wish you never did
Growing up,
Is the gamut of emotions and the ability to call them up upon command
Growing up,
Is sacrifice
Growing up,
Is Never letting them see you sweat
Growing up,
Is not being afraid to quote a deodorant's slogan
Growing up,
Is elation and joy
Growing up,
Is universality
Growing up,
Is arthritis, hypertension and grey hair
Growing up,
Is individually wrapped
Growing up,
Is mass marketed and overproduced
Growing up,
Is both in Hardcover and in Paperback
Growing up,
Is seen in both digital and analog
Growing up,
Is to love and to know, if you haven't loved yet, you still can
Growing up,
Is having a plan
but also knowing when to crumple it into a ball and toss it away

I could've quoted Kenny Rogers
but I'm currently boycotting poultry
and I don't have a handle on the strike zone quite yet


Growing up
     Is making the decisions that do not have alternatives
Growing up
     Is knowing that sometimes failure increases victory
Growing up
     Is learning not to provide the valid argument
Growing up
     Is owning one’s fears and trepidations
Growing up
     Is appreciating your most unattractive qualities
Growing up
     Is not making a choice at all
Growing up
     Is eating the last piece
Growing up
     Is foregoing what you truly desire
Growing up
     Is not caring what anyone thinks
Growing up
     Is simultaneously exploding and imploding
Growing up
     Is letting your opponent win
Growing up
     Is extending equality to all things
Growing up
     Is walking upon eggshells while blindfold
Growing up
     Is acting oafish to accomplish the most delicate of tasks
Growing up
     Is allowing immaturity its due
Growing up
     Is making dreams out of house dust
Growing up
     Is not suppressing what is welled inside
Growing up
     Is ensuring nightmares are seen through
Growing up
     Is getting it
Growing up
     Is nonchalant, ambivalent, carefree and lethargic
Growing up
     Is yesterday, today and tomorrow
Growing up
     Is shrinking
Growing up
     Is not giving a damn
Growing up
     Is incongruent
Growing up
     Is fatalistic
Growing up
     Is dancing with two broken legs
Growing up
     Is to travel into the belly of the lion for the last safety clip
Growing up
     Is moving from the individual to that of the collective
Growing up
     Is plagiaristic
Growing up
     Is necessary
Growing up
     Is gesturing, solely to say hello
Growing up
     Is forgetting to make your farewell rounds
Growing up
     Is not taking oneself so seriously

I could've quoted Kenny Rogers
but I'm currently boycotting poultry
and I don't have a handle on the strike zone quite yet 

Growing up is inevitable, so enjoy it while you can
    
    





11 comments:

  1. Growing up,
    Is not being afraid to quote a deodorant's slogan....hardcover and paperback...i just LOVE this fred

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  2. Fred..there is s much in this, and so many true statements....you've put so much thought into this, but also, its great to see it spill down the page as it spilled out of your consciousness! My favourite? growing up is shrinking.... because its true! and because its an oxymoron! great work buddy

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  3. Is everything you've never seen and all you wish you never did...not being afraid to quote a deodorant slogan...ha....i love your little quips.....growing up is all that and even more confusing at times...lol...nice you included your art as well man...

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  4. haha liked the dancing with two broken legs, as that is the way life can be many a time, you captured any an angle indeed, no wonder the cat refuses to grow up.

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  5. It is inevitable Fred, better than stagnation, I say ~ Enjoyed the reflections and thoughts on growing up ~

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  6. Well, Fred, you have given so many aspects of 'growing up' that it is hard to know where to start in commenting....so I will just say you have written a well thought out piece, and I can't imagine there is much that you missed. Smiles.

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  7. Growing up is inevitable, so enjoy it while you can...

    ...indeed.

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  8. the formatting of the second is nice, but these bits of the first are really neat -

    Growing up,
    Is individually wrapped
    Growing up,
    Is mass marketed and overproduced
    Growing up,
    Is both in Hardcover and in Paperback
    Growing up,
    Is seen in both digital and analog

    love this Fred

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  9. Fred what a beautiful and comprehensive poem you've written. I love so many of your definitions - unique and true. I don't agree with your closing. i don't think growing up inevitable. It takes some conscious work to reach the adulthood you describe. I really, really enjoyed reading this.

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  10. growing up is making decisions that's really the bottom line. the more decisions you make, the more successful decisions come out of the heap of decisions.

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  11. Another wonderful response to Stu's prompt - there have been many. Too many favourite lines to quote :-)

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