Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Skeptic

The Skeptic

this poem wanted
to be written
l   o   n   g   h   a   n   d

do you see what i did there
making my poem self-aware
as if things become
more believable
by little tricks
of consciousness

i don’t believe
my own tricks

no i’m not truly skeptical
since i have an inflexible
belief in doubt


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dVerse MeetingtheBar night, hosted by poet Brian Miller. Brian has us paring down to essentials, crafting stories of 55 words, no more, no less. I suppose mine might be more anti-story than story, but it goes that way sometimes. Check out all the great poets posting tonight, and maybe write a poem of your own to share. Happy Birthday, Brian!
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41 comments:

  1. Brian MillerAugust 22, 2013 at 7:52 PM

    an inflexible belief in doubt...ha yes, even doubt is a form of belief....ah the tricks we play as well...smiles.

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:23 PM

      Thanks Brian--I used to be certain of a lot of things. But that was a long time ago!

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  2. grapelingAugust 22, 2013 at 8:15 PM

    a conundrum, oxymoron, paradox, riddle - and great closing lines, Nico ~ M

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  3. ScarletAugust 22, 2013 at 8:26 PM

    When you doubt your doubts, maybe its the truth ~ Good twist here Nico ~ Happy day ~

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:26 PM

      Thanks Grace. Truth is like Big Foot or Nessie--we have a feeling it exists, some eyewitness reports, even some fuzzy photos, but it remains very elusive.

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  4. BeachannyAugust 22, 2013 at 8:26 PM

    Me too. Clever coinage there. Doubt most things, but getting a little better with practice. Good work here. Liked it much.

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:30 PM

      Thanks Gay--as I get older I'm LOSING certainty. Is that a good or bad thing?

      Delete
  5. MaryAugust 22, 2013 at 8:28 PM

    There is a lot to be said for doubt. Never trust someone who is always sure he/she is right!! Smiles.

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:31 PM

      Thanks Mary--people with all the answers don't even have all the questions.

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  6. AnonymousAugust 22, 2013 at 8:43 PM

    Doubt is something that I will never understand. A doubt can change one's perspective and hence, their entire life.
    Lovely write... I liked the longhand trick and how you defined it later in the poem.

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:34 PM

      Thanks HA--I don't understand it either. It's just become the way things are for me, and I'm learning to be more content.

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  7. WaltermarksAugust 22, 2013 at 9:19 PM

    Inflexible, belief... Ha, ha, that's good.

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:36 PM

      Thanks Mark--as long as I'm not doubting doubt, there's hope for me yet!

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  8. MargaretAugust 22, 2013 at 9:45 PM

    Fun word play here!

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    1. Laurie KolpAugust 22, 2013 at 10:14 PM

      This sounds so nice read aloud. I really enjoyed it.

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    2. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:37 PM

      Thanks Margaret, I'm happy you had fun with it!

      Delete
  9. Laurie KolpAugust 22, 2013 at 10:14 PM

    Oops. Y
    That comment should be here. Our hands have minds of their own.

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:39 PM

      Thanks Laurie--misplaced comments are also welcome.

      Delete
  10. Kathy ReedAugust 22, 2013 at 10:49 PM

    You really came up with a great one...puzzles the mind; so it isn't true that if one has doubts, they shouldn't do something?!

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:40 PM

      Thanks Katy--if doubting meant we should remain static, I'd never accomplish anything!

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  11. ClaudiaAugust 23, 2013 at 12:06 AM

    haha....clever.. and sometimes things DO become more believable by little tricks..or not...or...ha...smiles

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:40 PM

      Thanks Claudia--so, now you see my point . . .

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  12. AnonymousAugust 23, 2013 at 2:35 AM

    Funny way of expressing the virtues of skepticism.

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:42 PM

      Thanks Gabriella--always searching, never finding. Surely there is some virtue in that!

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  13. AnonymousAugust 23, 2013 at 5:11 AM

    I like the way you portrayed "longhand" and then the last 3 lines were perfection!

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:44 PM

      Thanks Kirsten--I usually do write out poems longhand first, but since this called for a word limit I violated my habit so I could track the count. My weird mind just kind of went from there!

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  14. Janine BolléeAugust 23, 2013 at 6:19 AM

    Are you sure?
    This poem sets me in mind of Agnostic atheism, also called atheistic agnosticism, which also confuses me.

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:45 PM

      Thanks Aprille--I think I'm sure. Maybe not. I don't know. Or I should say I think I don't know.

      Delete
  15. AnonymousAugust 23, 2013 at 8:13 AM

    Me too...I think...Nice write! :)

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:55 PM

      Thanks Di--I'm happy you think you liked it!

      Delete
  16. AnonymousAugust 23, 2013 at 9:43 AM

    Ha! Very cleverly written - a lovely flow. I tend also to be doubtful but when in serious serious doubt (or difficulty), tend to resort to belief. All interesting. k.

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    1. JeffAugust 23, 2013 at 12:57 PM

      Thanks Karin--belief and doubt are eternally interesting.

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  17. brudbergAugust 23, 2013 at 4:15 PM

    I sincerely believe in the strength in doubt.. without doubt, there is no progress. But most important is doubt in self

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  18. kelvin s.m.August 23, 2013 at 10:23 PM

    ....oh, i almost always have to be skeptical with everything... especially when i'm doing audit.... you can't easily just trust anyone or anything layered in your front.... you always have to practice professional skepticism... & as an accountant engaged in audit almost everyday my job is not to trust.... to find the wrongs more over the right ones until i'm convinced nothing was actually misstated or done via fraud but that seldom to happen... ha... now know why accountants have few friends... aww...

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    1. JeffAugust 24, 2013 at 2:22 PM

      Thanks Kelvin--historically, chronic doubters have not fared well with their fellow humans!

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  19. Cressida de NovaAugust 24, 2013 at 6:54 AM

    I think someone is fiddle farting around with terminology here!:

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  20. AnonymousAugust 24, 2013 at 5:23 PM

    I'm so late in reading this week. Doubt has its way at times. But I love how you've written to the self-awareness of a poem. This could really help in editing. Hey poem, do you like yourself? What do you need to do to improve?

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  21. J Cosmo NewberyAugust 27, 2013 at 5:05 AM

    "...an inflexible belief in doubt." I need to think about that for a bit.

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