I Have Heard It Said

I Have Heard It Said

 

I’m not, very good with

what I don’t have…

and if, I did

I wouldn’t be mad

but I’ll  never know

so there’s no point

being sad.

and the ones that do…

they strut and they puff

they peer and they shoo

thinking that somehow…

they're better than you!

They’ll gather together

with others that do

to gain satisfaction

for what they hold true!

A strange interaction

begins to ensue…

in envious abstractions

of the others, that do

in a game of subtraction

to assuage their purview

till all that they have

is an empty pursue!

So if… by chance

you meet with a glance

from one of those… do’s

please do, smile at the efface

of their hollow review

for there is no disgrace

in the merits construe

that’s found in a place

of groundless taboo!

 

 

 

© 2023 Robert Trakofler

Author's Note

Robert · I Have Heard It Said

Reviews

[Betty Hermelee]

I like your honest spoof on hollow reviews! I hope I'm not one of them Robert... But yes, each reader has a different bent to his review...no one is absolutely right, but a hollow one is the worst....in your poem there are the haves and have nots.....it seems that the haves are pretty empty souls who really have nothing to say of any meaning... and that's not YOU!!! well done,
Warmly, B

[Robert Trakofler]

Hello Betty:) why does that sound familiar... Oh "Hey Betty" is a vintage store down the street from me LOL! So much has happened to me these past couple of years... much loss, much pain, much anger... and a healthy dose of frustration. after a slew of rejections from various publications, I guess this poem just came bellowing out from the back of my beleaguered and battered brain. I read so much poetry and much of the contemporary modern stuff I read in current publications is just awful LOL. I say this because I come to sites like this and the work is so much better than what is supposed to be "cutting edge" than it hit me the few publications left out there are just clubs little dying embers of what was... they forgot what makes a poem, a poem! it's not about artistry or beauty or the reflection of emotion to kindle our empathy or understanding it's about what's cool and who's in. Not grand wordplay or clever double meanings quite often its rather droll

[Betty Hermelee]

A very honest comment Robert; I hope you enjoy the holidays even though it seems like the timing may be a bit off for you, but there is always hope…..
Warmly
B.

[Robert James]

A friend of mine once wrote, many years ago:

To be afraid of they
and what they say
is to be laid away
far, far away
from the realities of today.

I had not thought about it for years, though obviously it stuck with me all these years... In any case it popped back into my mind as I read yours. The amorphous THEY and what they will do or say never seem to go away. Nor do their thoughts and opinions ever get any better. I do wish that THEY would just leave us alone ;-)

Many thanks for an eternally good thought.

[John the Baptist]

This one seems to be a takedown of cliques. Yes, there are those, who because of similar interests and abilities, tend to look down on outsiders. Makes me think of high school fraternity brothers.

[Soren]

So true. Good advice here in verse. I liked the message.

[Robert Trakofler]

Hi Soren:) Well I don't "do" and I am just fine with that LOL

[emmajoygreen]

Strange how things go in life, the lessons we learn or - are advised to learn! Or, dear Bunny, should we only learn what we want to learn, just in case it comes in useful. From start to finish of the above, my eyes and mind nudged, saying,' Take notice of this generous and general piece of writing; take it as you find it because, well.. just because...' There are ways of trying, also, ways of being 'trying' You are the man and writer who knows how to be human. Take care of you, please.

[Robert Trakofler]

Love you Emmy:)

[Ken Simm.]

Reminds me of one I wrote called Booley and the Wold. But your take on this is much better. Hope you are well.

[Robert Trakofler]

Hi Ken I am doing wonderfully I was just thinking about you going thru all of these old slides of my stepfather's I need to send you one to see if it might inspire a bit of a scrawl from you:? I have given one to Nev and Ghounwah thus far, your next on my hit list:)

[Einstein Noodle]

yeah ... you are positively correct in this says i ... we can only control our own little selves .. i was particularly taken by
"They’ll gather together
with others that do
to gain satisfaction
for what they hold true!" ... groups of people supporting one another with only shared ideas and beliefs .. an imprenetable wall of self re-enforcement .. seem terrified by a "other" idea that just might tumble the whole works ... enjoyed hearing you read sir .. and your words ..
E.
ps. great pic .. love the little elongated "soup catcher" :)

[Robert Trakofler]

Many shirts have been saved by this gootee lol I have as a part of my life a large amount of exposure to people be it customers or employees or the myriad folks I interact with in the daily practice of my business. I have gay people poor people Republican people Democrats liberals catholic Protestant agnostic Muslim Buddhist transgender no gender you name it I probably know one:) the one thing I won’t tolerate is hate I do not hate them and I won’t let them hate the people I care about and like I said I have many I care about most of my customers businesses associates and employees become like family to me

[Einstein Noodle]

yep .. hate and fear .. two mortal enemies of human beings .. keep the lines open right!? ;)

[William Michael Reeves]

There you are, no longer peering over the edge of your avatar! No longer like a neighbor peering over the fence never seen, like that guy on an old TV show. Good to see you. Better to read you. The haves have not a clue what they truly have having not ever not had. Ignorance is bliss!! And I might quote Solzhenitsyn here ... the less you have, the less you have to lose. I do like to do my best to fully understand a poem and the last line is causing my synapses to misfire. Is the place of groundless taboo where the haves have what they have?

[Robert Trakofler]

I am not by any means an authority of poetic constructs but I think what the author is saying in that last line... (by the way I asked the bunny directly and he just responded "Figure it out for yourself" he's like that Bunny alter egos are by their nature very rude!) what was your question? oh, the last line... I think it means that the preconceived notion of (fill in the blank here) race, money, sexual proclivity, looks... etc are all groundless... these taboos of what we don't have to stand upon a position that magically negates the value of a person because of a preconceived notion of what is right is a silly way to be and one that devalues the person that looks down upon them. I think that is what I meant but as you know there are no rules in poetry just what the reader sees my clever friend

[Robert Trakofler]

I forgot to mention that I am flattered that you took the time to ponder this poem:)

[William Michael Reeves]

Could you repeat that please?!

So what you're saying is what we see in the mirror is very different than what others see of us and what we see is right, as we see ourselves, regardless of what another sees. Right?

There are no rules in poetry, except when there are rules. Let me tell you about Sonnets, Villanelles, Ghazals and ....

[Robert Trakofler]

wow what an interesting perspective

[Robert Trakofler]

There are no rules in poetry, except when there are rules. Let me tell you about Sonnets, Villanelles, Ghazals and ....
LOL I was referring to what the reader sees
The rules of authorship are myriad and ever-evolving:)

[AYVID N]

I loved this poem and I loved the fact that you wrote it with such passion and conviction. Writing and the sharing of writing should be a joyful pursuit and must be used to make genuine connections with others like us who connect with words. Each scribbler is unique and his words bear his stamp, his own brand of genius so I feel there is nothing like 'having it'. If an interaction does nothing to reinforce us then it should be avoided. Hollow reviews....? I'd rather not have any review than a hollow one. Two words written with love and appreciation are far better than pages of finely scripted hypocrisy. Thank you for this poem, dear Bunny. Your poetry always touches me deeply.

P.S. That's a great pic of you! :)

[Robert Trakofler]

oh you always did "have an eye" I had pumped so many meanings into these lines from money to race and looks the politics of sexuality what is right in the eyes of society and yes even in others' artworks:) your always a clever one dear Divvy! speaking of lines I chose that picture because it shows all of my lines some people hate their true lines but I rather love them they are marks of distinction and badges of perseverance :) thank you for making my morning so bright

[AYVID N]

You look very nice and lines do really enhance you. They become you, dear Bunny. I'm so happy to reconnect. Its a joy always.

[Stella Armour]

Good morning Bunny , i enjoyed your recording but for some strange reason i find i cannot down load any of mine lately to the Cafe or Facebook ?

[Robert Trakofler]

are you using soundcloud?

[Stella Armour]

Yes bunny x

[Robert Trakofler]

LOL that was the only thing that worked for me my memory was a little sketchy on the other stuff I dont post as much as I used to

[Stella Armour]

I tend to come and go with posting , have a text from it for a few months and then come back , but then again I don’t write much these days … no inspiration I am afraid 😧

[Stella Armour]

Rest not text lol