Poetry

hd photo

By

Micheal Ace

GET THINGS RIGHT

I call them perverts! You know why? Because they are born Negative.

They will never see a green light. They would rather sit in darkness

than watch your candle burn when theirs isn’t.

In 2015 when I decided that my Facebook account would be for nothing

else but poetry and writing in general, i took my time to delete every

existing friend on my list then: my classmates, old friends,

neighbours, relatives, and everyone whom I knew. Then I began to form

a clique; I sent more than 3000 friend requests to like minds in the

literary circle. That’s how to grow, so you say.

But here’s my point. Even after gathering more than a hundred scores

of poets and writers, I still felt detached- like I wasn’t accepted.

Some made it clear, they showed me nothing good would come out of it;

an abrupt turn-down.

There are people like that.

I remember saying to one giant literate back then that:

“I won’t stop, just to prove to you how wrong you are.” I tagged him

to a poem and he went all loose on me. He called me a name I won’t

like mentioning here.

Those are perverts.

Because you are in school or seeking admission and you decide to

explore poetry or literature as a whole, an idiot will come asking you

damn needless questions on how writing pays you just because he makes

a filthy change where he labours, thinking he works. He will tell you

to use your time for better stuff whereas he has nothing, I mean no

opportunity to offer.

Writing may not necessarily be your profession. To be realistic, we

all know the economic nature of literature. You can spend half a

million to publish a book and still end up begging people to collect

it for free. That’s how it is. But don’t be fooled, those big men you

see make their money elsewhere. Go to school, focus on your career,

expand your business and make money. You can have a name, build a

legacy, get fame, and make yourself a giant in historical tales

through literature. Even if you win the Brunel £3000, you can’t spend

that for the rest of your life or how must is a million in this fucked

up country?

Don’t let a fool blow your flame, he has none burning. Poetry is more

of passion and addiction, likewise other genres of the art. But don’t

let it affect your personal ambition. 24hours a day is enough to be

greater than the greatest man in the world. It’s not how far but how

well.

And if anyone comes trying to teach you what his ancestors know not

about life, show him your palm, if he can’t decipher the scribblings,

then he is a jerk. You don’t have to insult, just tell him to sit and

watch you do that which he said you can’t.

Birds fly, fishes swim, reptiles crawl but you can do all. Tap into

the magic and get things right.

Micheal Ace

A poet and writer from Osun state, Nigeria. Author of ‘Sermon from a stammerer’ and ‘Scarlet silk’.