By Daniel Paiz 

As things continue on this NaPoWriMo go-round, there are a unlimited number of topics that one can write about. There are different poetic forms one can use, such as haikus, ruba’i, rhymes and slam poetry; whatever form or lack thereof can be utilized. In this iteration, I’ll be returning to what has always been the go-to: rhyming.

Submit your energy

Remember the days when you engaged,

submitted your energy to others to grow from

what you learned and how you behaved,

Reflection today is the killer of action,

comparison the thief of joy because I allow it

to dictate my satisfaction,

Distractions all around me so

that I can stay “plugged in”,

as if knowing certain trends can be used as a weapon.

Step in the thought it’s really

an incarcerating contraption.

 

Social media isn’t to blame,

it’s my own behavior that’s been drained away,

My inability to see how things as

they are and instead disengage,

effort requires sacrifice, and not

the kind necessarily of what’s in your pocket,

rhyming in that vein could be

the best stock tip I learn yet,

But history is ever repeating, until it’s not.

Learning how to grow your own is

how you revitalize worn out thoughts.

Let me pull back from the flowery

language to make my point clear,

you as in I are what’s the biggest obstacle to fear.

 

You as in I are deciding how you’re going to do before you ever try,

You as you write these words will

figuratively live or die,

Dramatic enough? I’ll answer casting calls later,

What I need to do right now for myself is a favor.

Re-listen to what Luda said and get out of the way,

because I’m my biggest flaw in terms of

not seeing how things can change,

I’m rededicating myself to my art and my craft,

this isn’t a declaration but a reminder

to be more punk than daft.