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My Statue of Liberty

I once behaved. Followed all the rules. Understood what was "normal". My parents taught this, teachers demanded this, principals enforced this. Ministers expected it, society reinforced it, friends tested it, professors challenged it.
Then, poetry became my statue of liberty.


following the rules
and behaving normally
no longer appeals

Copyright © John Watt | Year Posted 2020

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Funom Makama Date: 6/29/2020 2:08:00 PM A huge huge congratulations on your high placement. You deserve it. Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/29/2020 3:36:00 PM Thank you for your very generous, Funom. Hope is all is well, my friend ~ John

Kim Rodrigues Date: 6/26/2020 10:58:00 AM Congratulations, John! Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/26/2020 11:32:00 AM Thanks Kim! God bless your day and enjoy your weekend! ~ John

Aditi Mishra Date: 6/26/2020 6:19:00 AM Back to congratulate you on your win John. I knew this muse will rise like the Statue of Liberty. Keep writing and inspiring dear friend. Happy to see it placed first. God bless you :) Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/26/2020 11:34:00 AM Thank you, my friend. Your comments and poetry inspire me as well. God bless you ~ John

Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/25/2020 2:27:00 PM I am so glad this got a first placement. I loved it since the first time I read it. Congrats. John. Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/25/2020 3:13:00 PM Thanks for the second visit and the great comment, Andrea. Very inspiring to me.

Gershon Wolf Date: 6/25/2020 1:18:00 PM Wh..e..tt's dat boat fowlla'ing de R-r-r-ools, Djzhon?! Hey, hey! Congrats on your win in Line's contest! Light and Truth, Gershon Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/25/2020 3:10:00 PM LOL! Thanks for the smile, Gershon! I do try to follow the rules when I'm driving my car...

Sam Kauffman Date: 6/25/2020 11:21:00 AM Ah, the rebel emerges like "wild thing" from Major League! Poetry does set us free in so many ways. Congratulations on your first place win my friend. Grace and peace to you! Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/25/2020 12:13:00 PM Sam, you have such a knack for weaving baseball references in to your comments - I love it! Thanks for the kind affirmation, my friend. Grace and peace, indeed.

Paul Callus Date: 6/9/2020 3:23:00 PM This is very creative, John, and you were certainly not hampered by the 40 words max rule! Nowadays values seem to have lost their value!! Regards // paul Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/9/2020 5:38:00 PM Paul, I appreciate the comment and kind words. ~ John

Funom Makama Date: 6/8/2020 8:06:00 PM craft in wittiness, you've said it in the best way ever. Beautiful lines, deep thoughts Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/8/2020 10:13:00 PM Thank you for your kind words, Funom. I hope you are doing well. ~ John

Emile Pinet Date: 6/8/2020 1:45:00 PM Imaginative wizardry with the pen as you describe the virtues of poetry by coloring outside of the lines, well done my friend, Emile. Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/8/2020 3:39:00 PM Thank you, my friend. Your words always carry a lot of weight with me. Incidentally, thank you for sponsoring the Ninette contest - there were several wonderful winning entries to enjoy. ~ John

Caren Krutsinger Date: 6/8/2020 6:08:00 AM You have nailed the present America in so many ways my friend. Well done. Nicely penned haibun, and they are never easy. Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/8/2020 1:04:00 PM Thank you for the positive feedback, Caren. I agree with you about the difficulties of this form, for writing in prose doesn't come easy to me. Have a great Monday. Hugs ~ John

Malabika Ray Choudhury Date: 6/8/2020 5:50:00 AM Wow! Love the poem, John. So much depth! can relate to the feeling. Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/8/2020 11:38:00 AM Thank you for the positive feedback, my friend! Always nice to hear people can relate. Blessings, Mala ~ John

Eve Roper Date: 6/7/2020 11:26:00 AM Oh, I like. Good luck in the contest, should place well. Hugs eve Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/8/2020 2:49:00 AM Thanks you, dear one. I'm so glad you liked it. Hugs ~ John

Anne-Lise Andresen Date: 6/6/2020 2:12:00 PM - A statue to be proud of ... your personal freedom in words and thoughts, John :) - hugs // Anne-Lise :) Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/6/2020 3:40:00 PM Thank you for the visit and kind words today, Anne-Lise. It means a lot to me. Hugs ~ John

Silent One Date: 6/6/2020 8:10:00 AM Poetry became my statue of liberty ... Great line Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/6/2020 3:41:00 PM Thank you SO. Grateful for the read and remark ~ John

Regina Mcintosh Date: 6/6/2020 5:47:00 AM Wonderful poem, dear friend. I enjoyed it and hope it is a winner. Bless you with love, Gina Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/6/2020 3:42:00 PM Thank you, Gina. Let us not take our liberty for granted, when so many do not enjoy what we do. Appreciate you and your kind words ~ John

Poet Destroyer A Date: 6/6/2020 1:49:00 AM Wow, in that case I should return to my sanctuary. I love this... i just do. John, I wouldn't mind feeling the liberty of not being normal. Enjoyed, LINDA Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/6/2020 2:14:00 AM It's great to see you back, Linda. I hope you are well. I just noticed you posted your first poem in two years here at Soup. I'm going to have to go over there for a read! Thanks for the nice comment, and take good care ~ John

Michelle Faulkner Date: 6/5/2020 1:14:00 PM Our First Amendment right to freedom of speech can not be taken for granted, there is more than one way to think and be, and free expression is vital to a free society... Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/6/2020 3:15:00 AM Where would we be as a nation without the First Amendment, it really defines our DNA and identity. So true what you say about free expression, Michelle. Poetry is our bullhorn. Thanks for the thoughtful visit, my friend.

Jhinuk Mukherjee Date: 6/5/2020 9:30:00 AM Wow. It's such an honest piece of writing. "Then, poetry became my statue of liberty" it's heart touching and should be etched in gold. A strong entry for the contest and I'll be more than happy if it comes on top. Love Jhinuk Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/6/2020 3:14:00 AM Thank you for the kind word. Honesty, as in the vulnerable, self-exposing kind, is essential to good poetry, a trait I still am learning and aspire to with each new write. Grateful for your presence here at Soup, and your comments and poetry, my friend ~ John

Eileen Manassian Date: 6/5/2020 5:16:00 AM Beautiful poetry...You've used the haibun so well to bring this poem to a grande finale. The picture is also so...appropriate. Makes one think about the depth of the words. Blessings. Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/6/2020 3:12:00 AM Eileen, I am so glad you came by and graced my page with your kind words. This is a new form for me, but I can see its appeal. Blessings to you, my friend

Rhonda Johnson-Saunders Date: 6/4/2020 11:38:00 PM I love this, John! I may steal it for myself,, but I promise to give you credit...to my faves. xx Rhonda Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/5/2020 12:04:00 AM Ha, thanks for the heads up. You are so kind to read and leave behind your bread crumbs of kindness, Rhonda. Have a blessed day, my friend ~ John

Connie Marcum Wong Date: 6/4/2020 8:34:00 PM To thine own self be true to quote Mr. Shakespeare! I so agree John. I loved your Haibun and the picture of our statue of Liberty. Beautiful! I hope Line loves it too. xxoo Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/4/2020 11:18:00 PM Connie, thank you for the kind words and wishes. Aloha hugs ~ John

Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/4/2020 5:14:00 PM Yessss. That's what I'M talkin' about!!! Love the direction you took this one. Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/4/2020 6:37:00 PM Glad you and I are on the same 'page', haha. Appreciate you leaving your supportive comment, Andrea.

Aditi Mishra Date: 6/4/2020 1:41:00 PM Love the thought. This resonates with the frequencies of my mind so well! When you reach your limits of being normal, the dam breaks and wonders happen in following the unconventional roads. Glad you wrote it. Best wishes for the contest :) Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/4/2020 6:36:00 PM I'm so glad you resonated with this, Aditi. I mean, I do believe in following laws; that's what keeps us civilized and safe. But some rules of conventionality just seem random, or like one class telling another class how to behave. Poetry can set us free from those expectations. Thanks for the comment ~ John

Swetha Vangaveti Date: 6/4/2020 12:21:00 PM And I feel this is true!! And yeah!! Break the rules! LOl! Have a great day. Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/4/2020 12:31:00 PM Glad you feel the same way! Thank you for the fun comment, Swetha. It's nice to meet you ~ John

Richard Lamoureux Date: 6/4/2020 7:08:00 AM I like it! It makes for a far more interesting life. ;0) Login to Reply John Watt Date: 6/4/2020 11:03:00 AM Glad you liked it, Richard. Poets tend to color outside the lines a bit, don't we? ~ John

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