Intro; 

Okay 

You are not good enough. 

That is what I said.

sorry 

I know this isn’t the funniest topic for a poem and I know it’s  not what you want to hear before having to writeand put yourself out there

but We are never going to be good enough 

I know this because  

 Statics  

because of math 

there can only be one of us

a winner 

per competition 

and that means 

if one hundred of us are here  

99 get to sit 

and look up 

and know 

there is no 

good enough 

not for us 

 

Let us cover this destruction 

in thin veils 

of talent 

lack there of 

Ambition 

of 

lethargy 

say that those who feel inferior and attack themselves deserve it 

and pretend that these truths 

are not our truths 

none of it matters 

and it all matters 

because look look we are stuck 

below 

always below someone

always just a few steps away from perfect  

from good enough and okay

 

we won’t ever be because 

as much as your rise there is further to go 

and the top is a nonsexist

rising is all we can do 

until we rise no further 

and then what 

what happens 

when you hit the top that you can see so clearly from the bottom 

will everything be perfect 

will that voice in our head 

stemming from who knows wheres 

finally be silenced 

I don’t think so 

because 

I know there  there is further to go 

 

Perhaps a different activity could be found for me 

 less personal 

Perhaps I’ll try sports 

except no 

expect competition is universal

so it logically follows 

being perfect can only be achieved 

when those around you 

are not 

therefore 

 

someone is  not good enough 

 

And I wish this would stay where it belongs

 with competition

competitions wherein you are meant to compete 

but no

no this follows us like a shadow 

when we create and try to live 

 

and I want to shout

Let your ideas stay as they are 

right now 

pretty and perfect 

a great simple thought 

because as soon as you bring them into reality 

the minute you write them into existence 

sketch it out 

try for that ambition you’ve been talking about for months 

try for your dream 

the minute 

everything becomes real 

tangible 

that minute 

will be the minute 

when you are able to look upon 

your perfect 

pretty idea 

you will be able to see 

all of it’s terrible flaws 

the unending complexities 

the chipped paint 

the cracks 

the dents 

and it will fall 

so pathetically short of it’s luminous potential 

and it will not be good enough 

I can promise you it won’t 

even if 

by some miracle it is good 

which it isn’t 

it just became real 

and it is in roughest and most terrible form 

it can defnintnalny be better 

after all 

look around 

look at how high you could be climbing 

Good god look at us

Just for a minute 

actually look around 

at the person sitting next to you 

look at us 

or at least at me

maybe none of you feel this way 

maybe none of you compare yourselves to others and come up short 

spiraling toward this perfectly destructive perfectionism

 

 

and 

I wish I could have 

a part in this poem 

where I contemplatively say 

but maybe not 

I wish this I could take about

how every one of us 

can throw off the shackles of mediocracy 

and you will rise 

be greater then all the rest 

you will look back on a time when you thought 

you weren’t good enough 

and you will laugh 

at this time when 

but you won’t 

we won’t 

 

because how the hell are any of us going to get there

when we are wholly unwilling 

to lower these ridiculously high standards that we have burdened ourselves with 

but o

I can’t help but think that if we don’t get a solution 

we are going to spill 

and spiral 

nothing gets done 

when nothing is not good enough 

okay so 

we need a solution 

so I’ve thought 

 

and the only solution that I have come have 

that would actually work 

Is we all 

give up 

stop trying…. to reach a perfect ideal that if we are bing honest doesn’t exist 

take a deep breath 

process what I am saying 

because I can promise this is the only way 

we are never ever going to achieve what we want 

 

 

so we have to stop 

stop trying to compete 

with the stories that surround us 

because chances are 

they are just that 

stories 

stories of success sure

unmarred by their own personal failure 

that they know no one wants to look at 

no on likes looking at failure 

yet  failure surrounds us at every corner 

so good god I have to ask 

what can we do about it 

I mean it’s not like we can stop failing 

we really really can’t 

we all know that’s inevitable

and 

I also don’t think 

not caring is an option 

not with anything important

Creation can’t happen without the creator getting hopelessly involved 

   so no 

Caring and failing can’t be helped

But we can choose what we care about 

we can choose who we compare ourselves too 

 

because 

I am better 

at this 

 writing 

being a functional human being 

then I was a year ago

and that’s okay 

That’s enough 

and you know what 

I’d bet you are too 

Your better 

You may still say your not good 

but hey your better 

and that’s enough 

that will be enough