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fear and art
I often fear the public platform
but I am an artist
and despite my often
self-imposed mental isolation
I cannot deny the compulsion
to shed my metaphorical shell
and bare my soul
in the medium that knows me best
I feared death less
than I feared public speaking
I fought the demons inside
that demanded I stay invisible
and silent
I fought the bottom of a bottle
for the right to my own sanity
I stood up with hands shakings
and spoke with the belief
that I had something to say
though I wasn’t sure
if anyone would listen
Whoever said it is less painful
not to bleed, was lying
a prison is not a sanctuary
no matter the colour of the walls
or how much whiskey they’re offering
to keep the inmates quiet
Silence is the death of art
I still fear the public platform
© Indie Adams 2014
but I am an artist
and despite my often
self-imposed mental isolation
I cannot deny the compulsion
to shed my metaphorical shell
and bare my soul
in the medium that knows me best
I feared death less
than I feared public speaking
I fought the demons inside
that demanded I stay invisible
and silent
I fought the bottom of a bottle
for the right to my own sanity
I stood up with hands shakings
and spoke with the belief
that I had something to say
though I wasn’t sure
if anyone would listen
Whoever said it is less painful
not to bleed, was lying
a prison is not a sanctuary
no matter the colour of the walls
or how much whiskey they’re offering
to keep the inmates quiet
Silence is the death of art
I still fear the public platform
© Indie Adams 2014
Published 30th Apr 2014
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
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30th Apr 2014 5:50am
Silence is the death of art, and death of Art is death of the Soul. This is beautiful ink, thank you for sharing :)
1st May 2014 11:14am
Thank you very much Alien, for you lovely comment. :) Much appreciated. I'm glad you enjoyed the ink.
30th Apr 2014 6:24am
stunning. art is the expression of ideas, sometimes enlightenments, sometimes confessions...
1st May 2014 11:15am
Very true, thank you John, for stopping by and leaving your thoughts. I'm glad you enjoyed the piece. :)
30th Apr 2014 10:36am
1st May 2014 11:15am
30th Apr 2014 12:27pm
There are many great lines in your poem :)
I really liked this bunch:
"I cannot deny the compulsion
to shed my metaphorical shell
and bare my soul
in the medium that knows me best"
Great write
I really liked this bunch:
"I cannot deny the compulsion
to shed my metaphorical shell
and bare my soul
in the medium that knows me best"
Great write
1st May 2014 11:16am
Thank you so much Penguin Eater for your lovely comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the write. :D
30th Apr 2014 3:44pm
Those who can still tremble are among the
vibrant souls of sensitivity and depth of understanding who have power to save people and society.
vibrant souls of sensitivity and depth of understanding who have power to save people and society.
1st May 2014 11:17am
Anonymous
30th Apr 2014 4:34pm
Kind of in the same boat at the moment. I'm trying to muster up the courage to attend my first open mic, but I'm pretty scared. Which is ironic considering the amount of audio I do...
'Silence is the death of art' is a great focus point for the whole poem, and when I think of it like that you make an excellent point. If nobody gets up to do it, eventually it will die out. A bit like Christianity, but that's a whole other poem lol.
Wonderful no-bullshit read as always. Thanks for sharing.
'Silence is the death of art' is a great focus point for the whole poem, and when I think of it like that you make an excellent point. If nobody gets up to do it, eventually it will die out. A bit like Christianity, but that's a whole other poem lol.
Wonderful no-bullshit read as always. Thanks for sharing.
8th May 2014 8:43am
Thank you Missy :D Getting up and performing in front of anyone is never really easy, though I've had 18 months to get used to it now. The trick is just doing it, no matter how much you shake, or fuck up your lines. Christ, my last gig was the most embarrassing of my life. It was probably also the funniest. Everyone will tell you it gets easier, and it does, but it never stops being scary, it just getting more thrilling, in a good way.
30th Apr 2014 8:35pm
well, ye just get up & do it......
or ye can do an Emily & stay in the house for 30some years....
we do what we can
me? well when I died in 2000 for them to diddle wit me heart, I think brain slipped & bounced on the floor retrieved by nurse who stuck it back in before anyone caught on, which probably aggravated the 'condition' of feeling like semi-apparition, which is nothing like the bullshit of the Casper cartoons. It hurts like hell to see the denial & suffering in 'real' people's positive thinking yeller smiley faces
I thought I 'knew' what Art as Life,Life As Art was about in the 20th century....it's one thing to think about it, but once I thought I was dead, but survived, twas most different....A Gift, indeed, but no warm fuzzy comfortable gift. a great paradox.........just do it
8th May 2014 8:40am
Thanks for your comment Dan :) I've been performing for over 18 months now, this piece is more about the baring of the soul than it is about getting up on stage. 18 months ago I would have said public speaking was the harder of the two, now, not so much. A strange reversal of fears.
Thanks again for stopping by.
Thanks again for stopping by.
