Life is for the Go Getters

Gold cherry

By Jane Hyphen

Wed, 16 Nov 2022
  • 977 reads
12 comments
 

 

Life is for the go getters.

Pause and watch, 

open-mouthed

as they gulp the here and now.

Observe through a long lens,

how they stuff themselves,

like cold fish in a feeding frenzy.

 

Stand back, they’ve arrived

with loud voices, small talk.

Dogged in their quest, 

ascending skyward up their ladder,

onwards to the next rung,

dropping small change

from their plush pockets.

No time to dwell on

myths and monsters

or vanish into rabbit holes.

 

Hey, 

look at what you could have had!

Overthinkers, hesitaters.

Stay behind the white line.

Consuming details as

detail consumes you.

You’re too full to move now.

Mummified by layer

upon layer, of hidden stories,

locked in tight with detail,

too thick to break out. 

 

Inside you there 

is great drama,

undiscovered colours, 

supernatural powers.

Life behind the curtain.

A pool of your imagination

where worse things happen

and better things than ever

you could go and getter.

Life is for the slow growers,

the dark dwellers, inward looking

gazers of the go getters.

 

 

Certificate U
Poem

Comments

Submitted by celticman on

wrung or rung? seems right enough for me, both ways, all ways. But I'm not a go-getter. 

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thanks for the cherries. I think I meant rung, although wrung is how I feel. 

 

Submitted by David Kirtley on

I enjoyed this poem, as I do feel the issues you describe. I could never be described as a go getter so it seems to relate to me. It is not that I would wish to stop go getters from doing or being what they are or want to be. Perhaps I do feel that they can be rather false in their confidence or their assertions.

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thank you for reading and commenting David. I don't want to stop the go getters either, somebody's got to go out and get the go before it goes. I'm more of an observer and in doing so I am usually consumed by my observations. I believe we are in the best club.

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

I love that final stanza particularly

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thank yousmiley

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I'm with you in your poem Jane, in my old age go getting is something I'll leave to the young. Now I like to sit back and take life easy.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thanks Jenny, I'm not sure I've ever been a go getter either. I tried a few times but it caused a mismatch between my inner self and my outer self and then I was just a blur. 

Sitting back and taking life easy (if and when you can), that is how you become whole. Thanks for reading.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

love "gulp the here and now" and "loud voices, small talk" and "pool of your imagination", how you make your sounds longer in the second part of the poem, showing it is about taking/giving time to appreciate

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Hi Di, thanks for reading and commenting. It's hard to relate to those go-getter people, they do seem to achieve a lot but their achievements are perhaps 'microwaved'. Taking and giving time to appreciate is like living life in a slow cooker, I believe it tastes better and is more nutritious.

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Jane have you seen we're having an online reading event soon? It would be lovely to see you there - either reading one of your brilliant pieces (Dr Oetker gets my vote!) or in the audience. Please email me claudine@abctales or rachel@abctales if you can do either, to register

 

Submitted by drew_gummerson on

Congratulations, you go getter you, this is our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day. 
 

Image is from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/illustrations/winner-tribute-podium-1019835/