NaPoWriMo 4: In a Quixotic State of Mind

[faerieboots]

This one is my first Real Poem of the season, and I think it's a topic I should write more about. A lot, a lot, a LOT of y'all described me as 'idealistic' in my recent Johari. Perhaps not coincidentally, the second-most common word was 'silly.' 'Idealistic' can mean a lot of different things...

Comments

[faerieboots]

Ooo, please do, and please share when you do!

I'm glad to see that section resonating with you--I was trying to get at the kind of duality that seems to drive many adult idealists once they are old enough to know they cannot single-handedly save the world and yet something keeps pushing them forward regardless. There's genuine optimism there, and there is genuine compassion, but there is also a kind of pointed pigheadedness that is glaringly irrational.

I was at an NASW conference recently and someone trotted out the starfishes-on-the-beach parable (which I will be happy to share if you are not familiar). It's a nice sentiment to think that we all just want to make some kind of difference, and are willing to accept small changes, and maybe some activists are patient like that, but at least in my field the high rates of burnout and emotional fatigue kind of suggests it's not a peace everyone can find. Most of us are dealing with a kind of deep cognitive dissonance that really shouldn't be ignored.

[sprrwhwk]

Ooh, nice. :-) I feel like it wants a musical setting.

(You've seen Utena, right? That's what I always think of when a White Knight is mentioned.)

Is "armor rust" in the last stanza intentional?

[faerieboots]

I tried to make it a little bit sing-songy, or at least, I was trying for a kind of musicality, so I found the first part of your comment pretty heartening. :) I actually have never seen Utena all the way through, but I did intentionally draw on the series a bit to construct the idealist-female-fighting-things-white-knight voice; it's hard to resist the impulse. :)

The second half of your comment is making me rethink the last stanza--I did include "armor rust" intentionally, to get at the idea of armor that has decayed over time, but I will grant that it's kind of a cheat-y way to use the word 'rust' there. Also, in my experience, if it's not clear whether a thing is intentional, that generally means it's not working so well. XD

[sprrwhwk]

It feels ballad-y, which is appropriate. Utena's a good series and a good source of inspiration for a lot of things. :-)

I remembered the first line, and first read 'rust' as a typo, though I liked the image of rusty, battle-scarred armor it evoked. Dunno what other word would have the same effect and rhyme with 'just', though. (Ah, darlings.)

[faerieboots]

Yeah, that is why I went with it, even though it was a bit of a cheat. :) Also, yay ballady! Also also, yay Utena. I really should watch the series all the way through at some point in the near future.