Unrequited Love Poem

Being a writer is sometimes hard (or maybe it’s always hard).  Today I visited a writing prompt website in order to get ideas for today’s blog post.  I wrote my own list of writing prompts at a cabin in Oregon, but it’s upstairs on my night stand and I’m downstairs on my comfy couch with my coffee, so…next time I’m upstairs, I’ll bring the list down with me.  Until then, I’m borrowing writing prompts.

One of the prompts on the site caught my attention right away because it’s something I have experience with in my past–unrequited love.  Have you ever loved someone who doesn’t love you back?  Yes, it sucks.  I also suck at writing poetry so I decided to take a stab at this prompt because its chances of succeeding are at a very low level, and I need to experience more failures.  I need to put myself out there and flame out brilliantly in order to see that nothing really bad happens when you fail.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately because I have listened to numerous podcasts by Tony Robbins and Tim Ferriss while I’m out walking my dog in the evening.  In one podcast with Tim Ferriss interviewing Tony Robbins, Tony asks Tim, “Which parent’s attention did you seek when you were younger?”  Tim hemmed and hawed but I knew my answer right away–my dad.  I only wanted my dad’s attention and his was the hardest to get.  Tony also asked, “What did you have to be for this parent in order to get their attention?”  Again, my answer was immediate.  I had to be perfect to get my dad’s attention.  Perfect.  Or his version of perfect.

Dad:  I hear you got your report card today.  What were your grades?

Me:  I got 4 and a half million As and 1 B.

Dad:  Why’d you get the B?

Maybe you can see why I’d have an issue with perfection.  So, without any further downplaying, my poem written in 10 minutes, starting….now!

Unrequited Love Poem

Turned myself inside and out to get your gaze on me,

And to stay on me.

But it always went another way–

Another woman, another message, another post, another picture.

But I craved your eyes because they warmed my body

Like the sun warms the desert after the night.

So I created more reasons for you to rest your attention on me

And it worked for a minute or two, for a day or two,

Until I ran out of ideas.

Then I waited for you to notice I was gone,

But you never did.

 

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