Re: Ed Roberson's Idyll

Roberson's poem "Idyll" was one of my favorites in the book "City Eclogue." It is a poem about how the noise of the city can add up to silence, which is an interesting thing to think about. Sometimes there is so much of one thing that you can barely even notice it's there. For example, if you take many different high class meals, put them in a blender and consume it, you're not going to be able to enjoy each little bit at a time - it's going to be too much to handle and it's going to end up being a putrid experience. There are also times when we keep feeling good, and our expectations keep rising, so then when we feel good, we don't care, and when we do feel alright, our world falls apart. Here is my poem to respond to Roberson's "Idyll."

Stand up, stand out; that's what we were all taught.

No matter alone, no matter united, just stand.

Isn't that a bit silly? Isn't that a bit usually now? Haven't we all fell in line?
When we stand now all we are really doing is sitting down.
To attempt unique is to be a disaster
To be usual is bland
To be indifferent is to not exist
To stand out is to be the rest

It comes to a point where we need to be we, not we plus a thousand motives

Just be.

Please.

Stop.

Being "different"

Start being you.