Some days I want to submit
Selling my time is easy, no pressure.
A man with more money than he admits
Pays me hourly for short-changed measure.
Other days I want to fight.
Seize the day, stand for my humanness
Give myself my undeniable human rights.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
But most days I fall under the shroud
I sit back and dream of what I will be.
Each day slipping further into the crowd
Where I sell my time, to someone other than me.
The reasoning of a premature high schooler’s mind,
That someday when I grow up I’ll be something,
That I have dreams to accomplish, and plenty of time.
Truth be told, the clock is ticking, soon there will be nothing.
It’s now or nothing, something or never.
Do I sit back and watch my dreams die?
Do I devise some scheme barely clever?
Or do I say no and actually grab that ladder and climb?
What if instead of just reading you actually wrote?
Or are you afraid your words will be lost?
What if instead of listening you actually spoke?
Or are you afraid of what your words might cost?
Macklemore made it by confessing his sins.
Johnny Cash rose by breaking the status quo.
Chance the Rapper can barely sing, but wrote Blessings.
Do you really think these self-starters submitted?
No.
I want to know what you, the reader, thinks. Consider leaving a comment and I will reply!
Primitive Poetry 
‘Each day slipping further into the crowd
Where I sell my time, to someone other than me.’
That’s a brutal way of fighting your own freelancing efforts 😂 Lovely.
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Thank you 🙂
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It’s interesting how the tone of the poem shifts from resignation to determination slowly. Enjoyes reading it! Will be back to read more poems in your blog 🙂
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Thank you for noticing the shift! That was the goal. I like to shift from negativity to positivism, sort of like showing resilience.
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Yes it emphasizes that spirit of resilience! Keep writing ☺
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Thank you, I certainly will.
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Holy smokes, this is stellar writing! I particularly like your phrasing and how that ties to the shifts in emotion and mood. Excellent work, I think I’d like to read more
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Thank you! There is plenty more to be read!
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I dread being stuck in the rat-race of a 9-5 job, little-by-little my soul chipping away until i am but an empty shell in the vast array of capitalist consumption. I love how this poem manages to confront the feeling of hopelessness ad indifference and slowly change it into a bright rebellious piece that motivates the reader to step back and at least re-consider the choices they make. Loved it
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Thank you, it was inspired by a sign I saw at my 9-5 haha. It was an eye opener to me, I started to ask, “how the hell did I get here?” Thank you for your insights.
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Wow speaking to my soul! Hey William, my name is Treasure. The poem you liked wasn’t easy to write. I really enjoyed your poem, it’s actually how I feel, what’s been on my mind. The book “the courage to write” comes to mind often.
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Thank you, I’m glad it was able to stir up some thoughts!
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Yep, what we have to give to try to get somewhere else.
Thanks for the like.
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Thank you for your insights
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Hi William, your theme comes over strongly. The rhyming verse pattern serves well in the first four quatrains, the fifth last line could be rhymed to ‘try’ by redeveloping that last line -and the last verse would have more punch if you could maintain the rhyming scheme. Just my views of course, it’s an interesting read -thankyou.
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Hi Tony, thank you for your insights, they are much appreciated. The last stanza not rhyming is actually intentional. It’s intended to give the reader a sort of “slap to reality.” Reminding them that these are not just words, but something to live by. I will agree, it does not fit this poem as well as it does others.
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We all are here to give meaning to our life, but many will be one more in the flock….. inspiring one self or allowing inspiration to open up the floodgates of all that is beautiful, passionate, creative is the way to go…
nice.
https://ruparaoruminates.wordpress.com/
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I just wrote a poem about a wolf who loses his wolfness because he wants to fit in the the sheep temporarily. It won’t be released for another month, but it is similar to what you have described here
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The title/theme is brilliant 👏👏
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