Photo of surfing at Croyden, Devon, by Miles Wolstenholme‘We Must Invest in Self-Investigation’: A Poem by Damian Robin The Society June 1, 2023 Beauty, Poetry 8 Comments . We Must Invest in Self-Investigation __If past mistakes were soft cupcakes ____to scoff at and reject and so avoid the drill of mending toothaches, __If all the try-out greeds of youth ____were but a crumb of sugar to be brushed off from behind a tooth, __If all our fails were puffed lamb’s tails ____that blissed pains into clouds and pulled wool into smiles of rainbow trails, __If all the marks that we have missed, ____the targets passed beside, now arced like leaping popcorn, cosmos-kissed, __to lick life’s screen that’s super-wide, __If all our praying on stiff legs ____or pleads on bending knees had given us—not the truth prayer begs— __but creamy soothings meant to please, What Knowledge would we have to lift our strength? ____What cup could we hold high, sporting life-rich gold above our head ____with arms at ease, at length? We must consume our faults, our fails, our gaffs— our tears are on the table with our laughs— __to choose from beach-long smorgasbords the acred seascapes mapping what to ask __to launch our grand world-surfing boards towards the swell our ignorance affords __to jump our next heart-mountain task. . . Damian Robin is a writer and editor living in the United Kingdom. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. 8 Responses Joseph S. Salemi June 1, 2023 This is an interesting poem with some very nice diction (“that blissed pain into clouds,” “creamy soothings,” “the acred seascapes mapping”). And the meter is well handled, if unusual. My only objection is to the title. Never tell the reader what he MUST do. Poetry isn’t a Sunday school where lessons are taught. Good poems generally avoid what I call the three miseries (meaning, message, and moral), and concentrate their force in the suggestions of language and rhetoric. A reader can always dismiss or contradict a direct statement telling him to do something. It’s much harder for him to do that with well-polished language. And to pre-empt the anticipated objections: Yes, I agree that some poems do make use of meanings, messages, and morals. I just think that, like one’s private parts, it’s best to keep them covered up most of the time. Reply Damian Robin June 1, 2023 Nicely put, Joe, I will take on board your direction for the future. And thank you for your positives in your first paragraph. Reply Margaret Coats June 1, 2023 Remarkable! And imagistically, such an unusual invitation to an examination of conscience. In fact, Damian, your means of expression go further than that, because you actually demonstrate with amusing metaphors the trivializing excuses a person is likely to make for his faults. And not only for acknowledged failings, but for mistakes or omissions that could have arisen from ignorance or carelessness (“targets passed beside”). The “beach-long smorgasbord” of items to investigate, with an ocean of little things to adjust or correct, is a most entertaining method of describing general confession to acquire self-knowledge and strength. It suggests the seriousness of the endeavor, and pokes fun at the childish pickiness of those who might refuse (balking at every single question!) because “no one tells me what to do.” Anyone who sincerely says that is a divorced high-school drop-out in jail. Good prospectus for a promising investment, Damian! Reply Damian Robin June 2, 2023 Thank you, Margaret, for your deep and perceptive remarks that keep the levity of the poem in mind. Reply Joseph S. Salemi June 1, 2023 One minor point — in the seventh strophe, the word should be “gaffes.” The word “gaffs” refers a certain kind of fishing hook. Reply Damian Robin June 2, 2023 Thank you, Joe, for pointing out my gaffe ! Reply Russel Winick June 1, 2023 Great subject Damian, with fine imagery. Might just make some leaping popcorn tonight! Reply Damian Robin June 2, 2023 I hope you don’t disturb the neighbours, Russel. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Joseph S. Salemi June 1, 2023 This is an interesting poem with some very nice diction (“that blissed pain into clouds,” “creamy soothings,” “the acred seascapes mapping”). And the meter is well handled, if unusual. My only objection is to the title. Never tell the reader what he MUST do. Poetry isn’t a Sunday school where lessons are taught. Good poems generally avoid what I call the three miseries (meaning, message, and moral), and concentrate their force in the suggestions of language and rhetoric. A reader can always dismiss or contradict a direct statement telling him to do something. It’s much harder for him to do that with well-polished language. And to pre-empt the anticipated objections: Yes, I agree that some poems do make use of meanings, messages, and morals. I just think that, like one’s private parts, it’s best to keep them covered up most of the time. Reply
Damian Robin June 1, 2023 Nicely put, Joe, I will take on board your direction for the future. And thank you for your positives in your first paragraph. Reply
Margaret Coats June 1, 2023 Remarkable! And imagistically, such an unusual invitation to an examination of conscience. In fact, Damian, your means of expression go further than that, because you actually demonstrate with amusing metaphors the trivializing excuses a person is likely to make for his faults. And not only for acknowledged failings, but for mistakes or omissions that could have arisen from ignorance or carelessness (“targets passed beside”). The “beach-long smorgasbord” of items to investigate, with an ocean of little things to adjust or correct, is a most entertaining method of describing general confession to acquire self-knowledge and strength. It suggests the seriousness of the endeavor, and pokes fun at the childish pickiness of those who might refuse (balking at every single question!) because “no one tells me what to do.” Anyone who sincerely says that is a divorced high-school drop-out in jail. Good prospectus for a promising investment, Damian! Reply
Damian Robin June 2, 2023 Thank you, Margaret, for your deep and perceptive remarks that keep the levity of the poem in mind. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi June 1, 2023 One minor point — in the seventh strophe, the word should be “gaffes.” The word “gaffs” refers a certain kind of fishing hook. Reply
Russel Winick June 1, 2023 Great subject Damian, with fine imagery. Might just make some leaping popcorn tonight! Reply
