[NicknamedBob]

"What a beautiful poem"

Heh. I see the flaws. But I'm prudent enough not to point them out.

When you paint a room, or other work project, and you're showing it off to a friend, resist the urge to point out where you went wrong. Chances are they'll never notice otherwise.

The Wordwright

"A natural at rhyming," they said with quiet awe,
As if the effort of the work was just a lucky draw.
The poet grimly sets to task and nails the fabric down.
He stretches it to smooth it; portrays a bit of frown.

The subject matter fights him. He struggles on despite,
And witnesses remark there seems no effort in this wright.
While storms torment his vision, and tempests on him pour,
He delicately sets a bit of shell upon the shore.

The setting must be balanced. He knows it must be so,
But others only notice as the vistas slowly grow.
His struggle is exhausting, and soon to bed must he,
But not before he finishes his latest travesty.

So tempted to destroy it, his stare a rueful stance,
He shrugs and turns away from it without a backward glance.
"Another masterpiece," they cry, and celebrate each rhyme,
And tearfully, he vows that he will do it right next time.

NicknamedBob . . . . . . . . . . . October 25, 2004

[Monkey Face]

Allow me to relate a personal observation, Bob.

Over the years, I have made hundreds of knitted, crocheted and sewn items, and in each one, there has been at least one mistake, deliberate at times, not so at other times. I chose to allow them to remain in the article, rather than correct them in honor of my Native American heritage.

In almost every tribe, the belief is that if a thing is perfect, the evil spirits will like it and inhabit it, thus bringing bad luck and injury to the owner. By putting in a flaw, the evil spirits will stay away, and the owner can keep it with the knowledge that it is “safe.”

And so, when you write, and you know there is a mistake of some kind that others may not notice, it’s OK to leave it in...Avoid perfection and be secure in the knowledge that your efforts will be appreciated.

Just sayin’.