We Stop Ourselves - 10 Poems on CreativityDoubt & Self-Belief
Paul Whybrow
We Stop Ourselves
10 Poems on Creativity, Doubt & Self-Belief
Paul Whybrow
Copyright 2015 Paul Whybrow
Published by Paul Whybrow
Cover Art: Google Images
We Stop Ourselves
10 Poems on Creativity, Doubt & Self-Belief
License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold
or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person,
please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did
not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and
purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work
of this author.
Disclaimer
This book is a work of fiction. While some of the place names are real, characters are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
We Stop Ourselves
10 Poems on Creativity, Doubt & Self-Belief
'It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare;
it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.'
Seneca
Contents
The Poems
Life Scrapes
A Life In Brackets
Stale
We Stop Ourselves
Believe in Yourself
Things That Can't Be
Backing Back
Belief And Doubt
Don't Think At All
Other Ways
The End
About The Author
Also by Paul Whybrow
Novellas
Short Stories
Song Lyrics
Poetry
Novels
Connect with the author
We Stop Ourselves
10 Poems on Creativity, Doubt & Self-Belief
Paul Whybrow
Life Scrapes
A strange word 'scrape'.
One to indicate trouble
endured and survived.
Or prolonged effort,
usually pointless.
Detritus from barrels,
offered to disgust.
Shelter for animals
from wind and prey,
when found aground.
Scars to the flanks
of vehicles and vessels.
Scraping away, I gouge
scraps from the bedrock
of my life for you to peruse.
Scrappings of the meat
of my heart that might feed
you a while, though the quality's
variable, like my love-life.
Flensing flesh from bones
might enrich your life,
though sometimes I hit
a nerve I thought long-dead.
One that still transmits pain.
Harvesting my life to write
of sorrow, loss and hard-times,
the scalpel of my creativity
picks morsels of misery
with forensic delicacy.
These obscure life scrapes,
nourishing as whole flesh.
Long-forgotten stigmata—
proof of my mortality.
Burrowing my existence,
there's a skin I sloughed off.
I offer it to you—try it on.
A Life In Brackets
I've almost made it several times (I really have been close).
I've been on the verge of great success (I only just missed out).
I could claim it was down to luck (things didn't go my way).
I'll try harder the next time (who cares what people think?).
I loved you heart and soul (but you stabbed me in the back).
I'll never find your equal (though it hasn't stopped me looking).
I've been single for a while (who the hell would have me?).
I'm used to being on my own (I live life as a hermit).
I'm in good health (if I ignore clinical depression).
I've no cause to complain (my knee grinds like gravel).
I've done well to last this long (I had a stroke at 41).
I expect I'll last the course, I'm only 59 (Dad died at 53).
I'm quite optimistic these days (nothing's going right).
I'm pleased how my writing's going (though it's ignored).
Wealth doesn't mean happiness (I'm the poorest person I know).
Things will brighten soon (I'm lost to endless night).
Stale
Say you don't mind
about falling away.
Fool to yourself,
and knowing it's so.
What can you do
about luck gone bad?
What's on the cards
of a stacked deck?
Broken dreams
splinter your soul.
Best keep it real.
Stay where you are.
Your life has gone
stale.
We Stop Ourselves
Life is hard enough as it is.
There's always someone there
to do you down, aim a knife
at your unprotected back.
So why are so many people
their own worst enemy?
Instead of making friends
with ourselves, we turn away.
Ignore who we are and crush
our own dreams to dust.
Instead of believing we could,
we insist that we cannot.
I've stopped myself doing many things,
afraid of failure, wary of looking a fool.
Staying the sorry same is predictable,
but risk-free and familiar.
I could love a woman I know,
she's ideal for me in so many ways.
But I'm afraid of losing what I don't have—
happiness with her! How silly is that?
For years I didn't write a thing,
not thinking my voice mattered,
that my stories were of no interest,
though people found me witty and wise.
Do you want to lie on your death-bed,
and think 'I'm glad I didn't do that.'
Just get on with all those things
that you've been wanting to do.
They might come true….
Believe in Yourself
The hardest thing to do
In life is the thing
We all try to ignore.
Not because it's hard,
But that it's selfish
And impossible.
We'll look at anything
Other than who we are.
Deny our own worth.
Self-loathing beats
Loving yourself
Most times.
It's not a virtue
To be an enemy
To your self.
It's not sinful
To be a friend
Of who you are.
Many others
Will oppose
You.
So why join
in with
them?
Belief in anything
Starts with you.
Begin!
Things That Can't Be
What I want
Is illusory.
I've learned
To do without.
Dreams disperse.
Hope mists-over.
> All my wishes,
Dust in the wind.
Clinging to bedrock.
The truth of who I am.
I bid wise farewell
To things that can't be.
Backing Back
Take it back, the way you lived.
How you frittered away the years.
Would you do things differently?
What have you learned from life?
Look over your shoulder reversing
Down time's highway, for a lay-by.
A place to stop to undo some wrong,
Or take an opportunity you ignored.
Will the change make such a difference?
Things might get worse, not improve.
You could be headed for the ditch.
Or a head-on collision with yourself.
Best keep your eyes on the road ahead.
The rear-view mirror's for what you left.
There's more around you than you're seeing.
Enjoy the ride you're on—all is now.
Belief And Doubt
Believing in something,
Being faithful to someone,
Is no guarantee of happiness.
Clinging to life's hand-holds
Doesn't mean you won't fall.
Hold on all you like
To what you think is true.
That security could crumble,
If you grip too tightly to it.
What will you have then?
Better to have something
Than nothing, you may think.
Doubts are cold strangers
Who hem you in with fear.
Self belief may chase them off.
But doubts are fonder friends
Than they first appear, advising
You to go a different way.
The light of belief you cherish
Has sage shadows best heeded.
Don't Think At All
Think that you can work it out?
These things that trouble you….
That your thought-processes
Can find a way through.
You may be over-thinking,
Creating reasons to prevaricate.
Problems are usually simple.
We make them complicated.
It's easy to miss the obvious.
Looking for the perfect solution.
Just grab the damn thing and do it.
Don't think at all.
Other Ways
I tried all I knew.
Made no progress.
Stepped away, right back,
Looked at the problem.
Got a different perspective.
Being away from it helped.
Tried other ways,
New ways of doing things.
Tried other ways,
And got the thing done.
You've tried all you know.
To get ahead in life.
Worn your nose away
On the grind-stone.
Move safely away,
Preserve yourself.
Try other ways,
New ways of doing things.
Try other ways,
To get your thing done.
We've tried all we know.
To get through together.
Spinning our wheels,
Getting nowhere fast.
Need a fresh way
Of moving forward.
Try other ways,
New ways of doing things.
Try other ways,
To get our thing done.
The End
About The Author
Paul Whybrow has a young head on old shoulders.
Ex many things, including being a teacher, counsellor,
librarian, dispatch-rider, milk-man, postman, bar man,
house renovator, classic vehicle restorer, courier,
van driver, factory worker, project manager,
live-in carer for the elderly, editor, photographer,
volunteer at a community centre, play-schemes,
homeless campaigns and nature conservation projects.
I wrote non-fiction magazine articles for ages,
but turned to creative writing in the summer of
2013. I've been my own boss for a long time,
which means I'm working for an idiot and the
pay is lousy—but the holidays are great.
Paul Whybrow has a good heart inside a battered chest.
* * *
Also by Paul Whybrow
Novellas
* A Man Out Walking His Dog—A tale of mistaken identity.
* Burpwallow Holler—Loyalty in post Civil War America.
* Quarry—A gangster becomes prey in a lethal reality TV show.
* Ghosting—How a lonely biologist finds peace with the ghosts of her life.
* Is It Her?—A new start is offered to a grieving widower.
* A Blue Tomorrow—Temptation and new beginnings on a farm.
* Hearts On Tour—Small town friends support one another.
* What Would I Do Without You?—A newly-single wife begins life again.
Short Stories
* The Moon Is Out Tonight—Two soul-mates separated by circumstance.
* Due-Date—A soul in limbo is given a new job.
* Jacqui In Space—A 20th century explorer on 22nd century Mars.
* Over And Out—Things come to a head on a 50th wedding anniversary.
* In The Graveyard At Dawn—A boy and his dog among the graves.
* Soul-Swapping—Moving souls, a demon tries to get back to hell.
Song Lyrics
* 12 Country & Western Lyrics—hope, regret and seeing things as they are.
* 13 Kinds of Blue—trouble's your only friend, ain't it?
* A Dozen Pops—love in a bubble always goes pop.
* A Dozen Rocks—head down boogie along the highway.
* Box of Love—songs of love and hope.
* Howling For You—the sadness goes on and on.
Poetry
* Love Stages—Love affairs seen at different phases.
* Love Begins—The thrill of the new, the nervousness and delight.
* Love Ends—What do you do when things go wrong?
* Love Hopes—How would you like love to happen?
* Love Wishes—In an ideal world your affair would be like this...
* Nature's Ways—Aspects of the natural world, happy and sad.
* Modern Times—What it means to live in the 21st century.
* Old Age Navigation—Ageing stinks, but it beats the alternative.
* Darkness—Written from the endless night of the soul.
* Darkness Darkness—We all have our dark side—how's yours?
* Loneliness—The poverty of the soul, when you're alone.
* Solitariness—The richness of the soul, when you go solo.
* Poems To Ponder—Thoughtful and amusing poems for children.
* Witches' Knickers—Silly and nonsense poems for young readers.
* Hold Onto Yourself—Funny and warm poems for youngsters.
* What Do You Like?—9 Erotic Poems
* Building Story House—10 Poems on creating stories
* Lost Among The Words—10 Poems about Writing
* Friends And Other Confusions—10 Poems on liking others and yourself.
* Chasing Big 'O'—9 Erotic Poems
* Squeeze It—10 Poems on Creativity and Setbacks
* We Stop Ourselves—10 Poems on Creativity, Doubt and Self-Belief
* Love Scenes—10 Poems about love
* Free To Fly—10 poems on getting through
Novels
Coming soon:
* The Perfect Murderer—a nov
el about a serial killer, who makes no mistakes.
.
* * *
Connect with the author
https://paulwhybrowblog.wordpress.com
