You Don't Have To Be That

to be that
silly fool
quiter failure
loser moron
meek and scared
you don't have to 

. . . be that

big fat mistake
that you once made
maybe a dozen times

it doesn't have to

define tomorrow

as today
is not yesterday
and this year
is not last year

as this life

can be almost anything

moving forward

if you try 

and just...

show up

for every single day

can be almost anything

Author's Note

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

Queen, one of my all time favourite groups. This track certainly uplifting and motivating.Re your poem, it's all an attitude of mind, how we deal with stuff, starting off with how our parents or carers helped us or otherwise. Mine, always had the attitude that we could do anything, reach for the stars, they are within our grasp. Most of all they taught us not to be afraid of failing, you just keep trying. I pity kids who have parents who don't have a positive attitude. They are at a real disadvantage. They set out on the wrong foot.

Chris

[Davidgeo]

Sometimes when a parent is too supportive a kid can get to used to being coddled or told "it's not your fault, it's never your fault". My parents were a******s, not exactly terrible people but definitely not classically supportive... that made me stronger, more resilient, and forced me to be more accountable of my own actions. I think an unqualified support system is just as bad as no support system. But of course, we can't blame or credit our parents for everything... personal development is far more nuanced a proposition than that.

[Gee]

Never mind aiming for the sky, try the top of the smallest tree, then from there the lowest, biggest bough of the biggest tree. Then if the notion so takes you climb slowly as high as you dare or are allowed to.
Me, blagged my way into most jobs then tried my damndest to make a decent fist of it, and I've got to say ain't done half bad.
It's bollox to suggest " you can be whatever you wish"....some are shepherds most are fluffy little sheep.
Hope all is well with you sir.

[Davidgeo]

"Never mind aiming for the sky, try the top of the smallest tree".... I really like that sentiment. Thanks for a thoughtful review.

[Gee]

My pleasure

[Davidgeo]

Forgive me for doing this like this but I find it hard to get a serious answer to this question form other users on this website.... do I truly seem like a horrible person?

[Gee]

Truth......you don't suffer fools, see through the bullshit some post about themselves and let them know this, can be prickly and seem like you are spoiling for a fight, can be rude and are at times like a dog with a bone when you get the hump with somebody. When this happens it comes across as bullying, although I doubt very much this your intention.
I personally find you engaging and enjoy swapping words with you.
I think that you should expect less from others as many are less gifted, intelligent than you and don't let people get under your skin.
There are a lot of tossers on here , you only have to read their " about me" and try not to get the hump when having a dram or two.
So no, I personally don't think you are a horrible person, honest to a fault perhaps, and this can cause upset to the more " precious folk"
Hope all is well with you and this makes sense.

[Davidgeo]

Thanks gee. That means a lot to me.

Sometimes I feel like I don't know who I am. What you said was pretty much what I think I am, well, maybe you were a little too flattering... I may read a lot, but, I'm no more intelligent than you or a good deal of other writers here. I think we're all a whole lot closer to each other in that regard than our differences would allow us to believe. Sometimes I find that people mistake those differences for being less intelligent or bigoted or whatever... it's a land of assumptions sometimes.

And we all have moments of self doubt, only honest reflection can bring us back to where we truly should be... which isn't always so easy (hence my original question, I've been genuinely doubting myself recently.)

[Gee]

I speak as I find. You have far more good than bad in you and with your talent could easily, if you so wished, steer many of us to better writing. You are the last person I would ever imagine might doubt themselves.
I can be a right narky test if the fellas at work take the piss but 99% of the time am the most easy going of fellas.
Just jeep doing what you do but try to ignore the f**k wits who yank your chain.
Take care

[Davidgeo]

Thanks again for the kind words. I'll do my utmost to live up to them going forward. (and happy father's day if that applies to you)

[Gee]

Good morning.
It was nowt but the truth and thank you, I am a father to a beautiful 17 year old daughter.
I've just read your comment to Divya and am glad that you are in a really good place at present.

[Davidgeo]

Good evening.
Thanks for being kind to me; and not just in the above comments. You've never not treated me fairly even when I've given you reasons not to. Not a lot of people, even good people, would be capable of doing that. You're good people Gee. I'm glad we came accross each other out here in internet land.

[Gee]

Me too. It takes a lot less effort to like than it does to dislike.
Hope you're having a good day

[Shubham Sharma]

A truly inspirational work by you and although I hate to stay this out of jealousy but you are a poet who could achieve cult status. The popularity of poets have been diminishing since past few decades. I may sound childish but publish your work, you may become as known as Shelly, Frost or Yeats. The dark undertone of your poem is so euphoric and earthly. You dont try to be spiritual and inspirational as those poets who think that the former and latter go hand in hand. The mundane quality of your narration is what exites me the most. Keep up the good work and do bigger works in future.

[Davidgeo]

It's kind of you to say that but I'm not anywhere near talented enough to achieve that kind of status or compare to those kind of writers.

I'm glad you found this to be inspirational.

[Ms Paragon]

Positive message, well written and articulated! Well done!

[Davidgeo]

Sometimes it's good to be negative and sometimes it's better to be positive. When honestly considered they become part of the same approach that leads to a successful and complete life. When everything's always one or the other to a person out of fear of failure or confrontation or whatever... that person is not experiencing reality and setting themselves up for failure.

Thanks for reading, thanks for the positive review!!

[KWP]

I feel poepl who live in fear generally don’t have the balls to show up - they may have big mouths and big notions but they still don’t show up .. actually now that I think about it - I have a big mouth and a big notions ... I do show up though- all the time - sometimes at the wrong times, sometimes people roll their eyes, sometimes people tell me I have bad communication skills - hahaha - like just last week - oh well - some people don’t like change - I thrive on change normality makes me skin shirivel

I am thinking to go trekking in Ladakh region next - it’s under my skin now - I guess it has to be done ... I will show up then too :D

hope you are well, fine and dandy - your words ring true - they always do XXX LOVE

[Davidgeo]

Everybody's afraid of something, some people are afraid of everything and stay that way. The world's not a simple place, it is defined by change at almost every level of existence from the immediate short lived to the extremely long term nothing is truly static. Either we show up and change with it or we hide and wither away pretending we've done all we can do. That's a pretty simplified way of looking at it but the essence of it I find to be true.

Ladakh region? Where's that at? It doesn't sound Australian.
Thanks for stopping by.

[KWP]

Leh Ladakh - Northern India ... we should trek sometime X

[Davidgeo]

We should indeed sometime.

[Neville]

You are of course, quite write in what you have penned here... very well stated and punchy too... Thank you for posting... Neville

[Davidgeo]

Thanks for the review Neville. I'm happy you enjoyed it.

[Neville]

I did indeed and my pleasure entirely... Neville

[Wild Rose]

I have the desire to do great things > Its just the ? Bosses ? who don't want to be outshined

[Davidgeo]

Good luck with that.

[Wild Rose]

Thanks > Retired now > I got a job with higher pay
Then when I retired sent him a letter requesting him to give a reference for a job equal to his.
His secretary rang He refused > So I said I was not going to used him - I had a friend who was a College Principle at a much bigger college

[Davidgeo]

Alrighty then.

[Onlyme]

Wonderful uplifting, motivational poem. About lifting oneself out of the darkness and hard times that often stops us from all moving forward in our everyday lives.

[AYVID N]

It's a difficult thing to do. To forget past guilt and shame and the convictions built upon years and years of disappointment with self. I blame no one. Just my own lack of sense. Showing up every single day makes sense even if just to keep going, even if nothing really changes.

[Davidgeo]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=29oD-AeDwrk