The Art of Losing

Assignment: Take a short story or poem. Modernize the outcome or rewrite a conflict. After reading "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop, I disagreed with what felt like acquiescence.

“The art of losing isn’t hard to master;

so many things seem filled with the intent

to be lost that their loss is no disaster.”  Elizabeth Bishop

 

The Art of Losing

 

Lose a little every day.  Accept lackluster

greetings, two separate rooms

to unwind in.  Do you even see her?

 

The practice of distance grooms her to lose faster:

friendships, her words.  Seclusion’s

a given.  Do none of these matter?

 

She lost her smile.  You laughed! And said at last,

a home you can recognize.

The art of losing her isn’t hard to master.

 

She lost her voice; silenced her dreams,

the realms she once owned and dwelled in.

She missed them.  For you, there was no disaster.

 

--She felt lost (completely.  Uncertain

And unsure).  By now it’s evident

that the art of losing her isn’t hard to master

even though (for her!) it may feel like disaster.

 

Reviews

[Everett DeValle]

DEEP, Zsanesce...losing is a part of life...I've learned to handle loss in grace...I learned a long time ago good or bad luck is never permanent. You work harder to receive better outcome with no regrets in trying. :)

Lovely write.

[SilentDream]

I agree. Absolutely no regrets in trying. It's good to see you!
Thanks for the feedback, Ev.

[Everett DeValle]

Zsanesce! Likewise. The pleasure was all mine. And you are very welcome.

[SilentDream]

Bishop wrote about losing things and that the loss of them is no real disaster. She then wrote about losing details like names, memories, and finally love as things that, when lost, are also no real disaster. I disagreed with what felt like acquiescence because I didn’t like the idea of memories and love being lessened and likened to lost keys... except if holding on to those things meant losing oneself. That thought made me dwell on losing oneself in general.

To modernize the outcome, I wrote similarly about lost “things” related to ourselves in growing importance to highlight the question, “At what point is losing yourself no real disaster?”