LEADERS - not followers

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

TOP - Voice prompt

Finding Our Voices
I
Public speaking was not my strength
My vocals refused to carry
I coaxed my chords until, at length
Pitch and Tone agreed to marry
At the top of my voice, I felt
I sounded like somebody else
But I shouted out loud to see
If people would listen to me
I couldn’t believe the effect
As the words issued from my lips
Despite all the rises and dips
Though I had nothing fresh to say
A new dimension to my range
The reaction was rather strange
Had they felt intimidated,
Provided the correct response,
Because they felt obliged to act?
Or was it imagination?
Quietly, I dwelt on the fact;
It’s all in the presentation
II
Why do you take sincerity so negatively?
Is it just insecurity?
Or
do you do what you do for your desired reaction?
If that’s the case, here it is;
nice!
Inspired by encouragement, go ahead, give us more.
Try to make it ‘nice’, like last time,
please.
Now we have your attention, try to understand us.
It’s the things you do that inspire,
so
we find we have to state the thoughts they provoke in us,
but you seem to want only praise.
Why?
Praise and platitude, as close as brother and sister;
pay a visit to their cousin;
truth.
If we’re making this concept hard for you to swallow,
chew it over, then swallow your
pride.
Don’t you know, every thought, every word, every action
you perform, displays a wisdom
rare?
Your actions, especially, speak louder than mere words.
Please allow the words we use, their
voice.

12 comments:

  1. Amazing read and a great point in your story filled with great words and thoughts

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  2. yt mason - Say it how it grabs you, not how it's expected, or hoped. It's always a thrill when people think something is good, but isn't the object of actions, or speech to stimulate? Thanks for seeing the point and commenting in more than just one word

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  3. definitely all in the presentation - that applies very well to the layout of your second poem too, the single word lines are very striking

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  4. crafty green poet, hi, I tried a double aproach - first to consider the weaknesses of ones own voice, then more directly, to force attention from the pre-occupied mind. Thanks for your evaluation

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  5. I thought you read my mind while writing the second one.

    However, I do like both.

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  6. while your summation is correct in that actions speak louder than words... sometimes actions married with words,, presented in the proper fashion... mean more than actions alone... very nice set of poems.....

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  7. Identification of voice is difficult and varying reactions add to the complexity. I enjoyed reading this - and more than once!

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  8. actions and words...which is stronger? Words...I say..

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  9. Yeah, two very different voices, the first was a young poets poem - the second had an attitude and an accent - I think you'll find your own voice soon... don't you know!

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  10. Thanks to; gautami tripathy:
    I'm not a mind reader, but I don't mind reading
    paisley: This is true, however, is it the appreciation or the reaction that's more important? (if they differ)
    tumblewords: variety is the SPICE of life, which means i.d of voice is not only difficult, but often intimidating to explore
    ul: written or spoken? promises or experiences? It's swings and roundabouts. Intention and integrity may provide the proof. Depends on the words, depends on the actions. Good subject for debate
    sweettalkingguy: With experience I may graduate from 'dummy' to ventriloquist. Somewhere along the line it'll be just me

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  11. dale: Sounds positive - thanks for reading and ackowledging. All comments appreciated

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