Show me one man
who has gotten
power, fame
and money through
incredible talent
effortless genius
carefully cultivated network
and I’ll show you
ten fools who
got the same
in spite of
themselves
Show me one business
that has achieved
dominance in its
industry through
good decisions
careful planning
unrelenting diligence
and I’ll show you
one hundred
who have thrived through
directionless and
unplanned ways
Show me one bad writer
who has attained greatness
in the word game
and I’ll show you
one thousand
unknown immortals
who display greatness
at their desk
at least one night
per month
The facts are clear
The Genius regularly fails
The Moron regularly wins
And the bookshelves
of the world
bend low
ready to teach
us why
and how
this is so
It seems the only
thing left to do
is to do the thing
as best you can
and leave the rest
in your overstuffed
suitcase
on your rented porch
as you walk out to
do it again
tomorrow
And the day
after
And the day
after
that
Until
your lot in this life
and
your concern for it
are no
more
forever
16 responses so far ↓
1 john | 17 Sep 2007
The public persona gains and rises with a grander scale than even the swelling suitcase. May we stuff more in the suitcase, and expose less to the open atmosphere.
2 Zak | 17 Sep 2007
This can certainly go down as a prime example of work strewn together with diligence and creativity, but instead of serving as an addition to the genius
3 Jecklin | 17 Sep 2007
… there is an indispensable justice, to yourself and to others, in doing well the work that you are “called” or prepared by your talents to do.
–Wendell Berry
4 Robert Bruce and the Genius/Moron thing | 17 Sep 2007
[...] The Genius, The Moron, And Your Lot In This Terrible, Magnificent Life: “ Show me one man who has gotten power, fame and money through incredible talent effortless genius carefully cultivated network and I’ll show you ten fools who got the same in spite of themselves” [...]
5 Brian Clark | 18 Sep 2007
Lately, I’ve been thinking of climbing in the suitcase. :)
6 mary ellen | 18 Sep 2007
here goes.
p.s. i don’t know how you work on a deadline. i was told yesterday that i needed to find a piece to read on thursday for a reading. i went back today, was told what i offered was not lighthearted enough, and sent away again. so, i have 48 hours to write a poem. thats not the problem. the problem is that it has to be lighthearted.
wish me luck!
mary ellen
7 archshrk | 18 Sep 2007
mary ellen, your situation reminds me of a scene from “10 things I hate about you”…
Cameron: We are screwed.
Michael: Hey, no, hey. I don’t wanna hear that defeatist attitude… I wanna hear you upbeat!
Cameron: [more upbeat] We are screwed!
Michael: There ya go.
8 Mark Goodyear | 18 Sep 2007
This one troubles me. I like it!
For the record, I don’t believe in genius–just perseverance.
9 Magnus | 20 Sep 2007
I love the anti-personal success cult direction of this one. Outstanding. I enjoy reading the biographies of the unheralded or the writing of the common, like Confederacy of Dunces or things like that. Ecclesiastes and Lamentations….
Thanks for your work, I always enjoy it!
10 squib | 5 Oct 2007
Good title. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but in the 17th line there is a typo: decisions
11 Robert Bruce | 5 Oct 2007
squib - Good catch, I’d say you’re the bearer of good news in this case. Fixed.
And do note my wise disclaimer in the header *unedited*. Gets me out of a lot of jams.
Nice site by the way, thanks for coming around…
12 Robert Bruce | American Poet | Knife Gun Pen | This Is Hip | 7 Jan 2008
[...] apologies to those of you who yesterday received this poem in your inbox. I didn’t send the thing out to you again, some kind of mix up with the [...]
13 Ray Sakultarawattn | 8 Jan 2008
I have to be honest…I don’t really know if what you write would be called poetry by the “technically elite” whoever they are, but I think it is, and whatever it is it’s brilliant, it’s free and unencumbered by the constrictions writer’s place on themselves for fear of their readers…I would love to buy you a beer and talk to you for a couple of hours…keep ‘em coming!
14 James Shaw | 9 Jan 2008
Yeah, just keep going and going and going…and one day (right?) we’re getting The Rewards.
Fingers crossed.
15 Robert Bruce | 13 Jan 2008
Ray - Fuck the elite, these poems are for you and anyone else who cares to come by here. It’s why I started this site and I’m grateful for every reader.
And, I’m in for the beer. Just shoot me an email…
16 Robert Bruce | 13 Jan 2008
James - I hope. But even if they never come, it’ll have been worth it.
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