Maybe This One

January 25, 2013 at 7:55 am · Filed under Book Signings and Events, Poems, Some truth to it ·Tagged book signings, disappointment, fear, fear of failure, poetry, writing

Sometimes opportunity knocks and for varied reasons we choose not to answer. The usual excuse is fear—fear of failure, or of being disappointed. And then there are those times when we choose to move across the room of safe familiarity and open the door; perhaps due to encouragement from a well-meaning acquaintance, only to find beyond the open door a world not meant for or perhaps simply not ready for us or what we have to offer. But if we love to ride, we must climb back into the saddle and continue down the path. We will never reach our destination if we cease to move toward it.

Maybe This One

 

A banging at the door startled me

And staring at the small peep hole

From my desk across the room

I wondered who it could be

 

Hesitating and then deciding

I should probably at least

Glance into the beyond

And see who… or what was knocking

 

Through the peephole of my life

I was amazed to see a celebration

A banner boldly displaying my name

Revelers dancing beneath it

 

I opened the door slowly

To a chorus of loud cheering

And watched as a woman

Bustled toward me smiling wide

 

I asked what was going on here

She said a party for me had begun

To celebrate my sure success and fame

My participation was required

 

I grabbed a pen and boxes of my latest tome

And grinning wildly rushed into the fray

A table was there for me to sell my wares

And I quickly took my seat behind it

 

Well-wishers stopped by

A handful of books were purchased

Then the last reveler slipped away

Vanishing into my thickening fog of dismay

 

Leaving the pen on the table

Carrying the almost full boxes

My shoes squeaking with each step

I went back into my room

 

Closing my door

A bit harder than I’d intended

I hid the box

In the dark of my closet

 

At my desk once again

I hesitantly began to type

Spirit lifting as words began to flow

Half smiling then, and thinking, maybe this one

 

Copyright © 2013 C Mashburn

 

Sharing this on dVerse Poets Pub’s “Meeting the Bar: Creativity” feature. Anna has invited us to write about, “a time when you’ve experienced or championed the immersion of creative flow; the agony, disappointment, or rejuvenation of a creative U-turn”. I may have missed the mark with this one, but I gave it a go.

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