Nothing From Something

than smart people acting stupidly

there is nothing much dumber

and perhaps maybe
we will never get rid of the wrong ideas
but most definitely
we can keep talking about the right ones
incessantly

and this is the difficulty
   to open your mind
   when you're stuck in a place
   you always called home
 
so, perhaps maybe
i will never be the one to make sense
but always
i will be the one to seek meaning

can you see me?
in between the difference
of nothing and something

that is my home
where i will always be stuck
in that lost and found

will you visit me?

mr perpetually unclaimed
wanted and unowned
mr nothing from something  

dead and breathing

very viciously 

Author's Note

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

I would much rather see Mr something from nothing, but of course there has to be an opposite. Mr nothing from something speaks to me about someone who could have been successful who had oppotunities but let them slip, probably for a multitude of different reasons. Someone who succeeds from nothing will earn much praise but those who had something and turnrd it into nothing will be considered losers. And the ones in the middle of the lost and found, they still have possibilities both negative and positive. Which direction will they take.? Oops pressed submit by mistake. I am not at all sure whether I am following your thoughts David. This is what came through to me. Those in the middle have room to manoeuvre.

Chris

[Davidgeo]

Something from nothing is always better than nothing from something. I'm just trying to project a type of self destructive disposition that I've come across a few times; still, to make absolute value judgements on why things end up the way they do for other people is inherently incomplete because those judgements are limited to our own personal values and experiences. Why smart people do stupid things and why people turn something into nothing is often a mystery without being intimately involved in their everyday lives. But this poem is what I think of it and could be complete and total bullshit.

[Ethan]

I appreciate that you often offer solutions in your poetry. The solution may not always be easy to see, and it may not be found in a completely black and white situation, but you usually write one, and I admire that. As for this poem, switching "something from nothing" into "nothing from something" is a particularly nice touch. It sounds like a pretty good essay title, maybe something DFW would've written. I'd also be interested to see what "nothing out of something" would translate in Latin in relation to "ex nihilo." I'm getting some Schrodinger vibes as well, as in constantly remaining in a state somewhere between something and nothing, which is nice. I don't know if you've ever seen the Coen brothers' A Serious Man, but they do a cool job of integrating Schrodinger themes into their script. Anyway, great job, I like it a lot.

[Davidgeo]

Given your age, to recognize almost every influence on this writing is very impressive. And thanks for your kind words... I'm one of those people you could be justified being an a*****e to regardless so thanks for choosing to be positive in the face of that. You're good people Ethan.

[Davidgeo]

…. by the way, I do read pretty much everything you write but I don't review or otherwise leave a tangible mark because I almost every single time attract the wrong kind of attention and that's just not fair to the writer. I'm working on becoming a better human being here but it's going to take some time. Hopefully not too much time...

[Robert Trakofler]

home is where you hang your hat (and that is indeed a good place to be!) but it can be a bit lonely and the pay sucks, but the benefits are great if you can stand up long enough to use them. I like these words David

[Davidgeo]

Thank you bad rabbit. As long as the benefits are good the pay can stand to suck a little and still be worth it.

[KWP]

hmm well the first part of this little number reminded me of a convo I had with Mali (17) last night - he thinks I am somewhat of a hippie with my take on life - we were talking about world population, GMO's and an eventual dystopia. I cannot say I agree with his viewpoint - but oh how refreshing it was to hear his articulation on his view point on life. he presented some wonderful arguments and I came away knowing once agin that we all have our very own unique take on life ....

second part - well why sure, I will come visit you in half way land - I guess the positive of hanging out in half way land is you can swing this way or the other depending on your mood. Unfortunately for me I have always been al all or nothing gal - so there no murky greyscale in my existence. Interesting - I know I am not found but I don't consider myself lost - although geez man I do like changing course often enough.

The other day I thought geez I could be at the half way point of my life - I don't want to be stuck doing the same s**t for the next forty years which lead me to start thinking on just how the heck I will be doing things differently :)

Time for a run?

Happy New Year MF! XXX

[Gee]

Happy New year to two of my most favourites ( not a word !) folk in the cafe. Hope 2019 is good to ya both

[Gee]

Favouritest

[KWP]

Yo yo Geebaby !!! Happy happy whatever that is hope it’s surrounded by love and good things - but not trough man ok - he was fun but I imagine he’s probably dead by now. It’s not good to have faves but of course you two are faves indeedy.

Love ya both X

[Davidgeo]

Aww... you guys are too nice to me sometimes. Thanks for that. And may your '19 be at least as good and hopefully, even better than your '18.

[DIVYA]

“Hello!” says one mediocre to another. Most people are stuck there. In the uneventful middle of nothing and something. Having lived in lazy obscurity all my life, I feel mediocrity is innate to me. Is it that way for most others? I can’t say. This is just my experience, stemming from the place you called “home” here. Where I find a shameful kind of comfort in lounging forever in my PJs. Also a place of solid self-bashing. So I can see you a bit from where I am, especially when you use the words, “perpetually unclaimed, wanted and unowned” (waves out) Indeed, we can be rooted in our wrong beliefs but it feels good to know we always have the option of talking about the right ones.

[Davidgeo]

Don't fret... the vast majority of everyone who ever lived never maximized their potential, or really even came close. True overachievers are a rare type of human... truly talented people that also overachieve are ever rarer. That's why they seem to be so exceptional to the rest of us and are celebrated/admired; there just isn't a lot of them around at any point in time. Most of us are far more talented than we'll ever realize, which can be a blessing in disguise or a depressing curse depending upon how you look at it. In one sense, we can feel good about always having the option to improve if we truly put in the time and effort; in another sense, we can feel defeated/depressed about never truly living up to our potential even after all our past efforts. Self image is all about how you choose to look at yourself and your place in the world.

[DIVYA]

Indeed. At the end it’s mostly about not living upto our potential...I get that.

[NotUsinganymore]

Very interesting poem. I enjoyed it. If you work hard, you can attain what you want. c: It just takes effort which many don't want to do.