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Expectations

by The Walrus 

Posted: 19 October 2004
Word Count: 153
Summary: Is there such a word as 'boing-ing'?


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Content Warning
This piece and/or subsequent comments may contain strong language.


Before I go,
I’d just like to say:
thanks,
it’s been great…
a right bloody laugh!

I didn’t expect to get this far
and now that I have
I feel somewhat smug
knowing I can leave the sheets
for some other poor fucker
to stain devil.

I didn’t expect such funky people
such wonderful playmates
who would join me boing-ing
on the terrestrial trampoline
Hoorah!

I didn’t expect to recover
from the ‘mistakes’ -
too busy laying the foundations
for future ones I guess.
No regrets, no apology -
learnt that one honey.

I didn’t expect to actually get there
to a place where I didn’t care
about the inconsequential
and could just hold in my sight
what really mattered
every second,
every minute
of every day.

And finally,
I’d just like to say
I reeeely reeeely love you.
Oh, and by the way,
dance on my grave.
I expect nothing less ;-)








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Comments by other Members



Sazmac at 21:32 on 19 October 2004  Report this post
Wow,

What a wonderful evocation of glee and confidence and sums up how I / we all? would like to feel before I go. Boing-ing must definately be a word, as to reeely - that too. i love the humility of "I didnt expect..." the repetition is really strong.

The last stanza is a fantastic finish.

This is a great great piece, and one I will return to. (and get inscribed on my grave too).

Love and peace,

Saz

joanie at 22:23 on 19 October 2004  Report this post
Christina, I love it! I don't really know why, except that it's real and holds no punches!

I reeeely reeeely love you after everything else, is excellent.

joanie


Mooncat at 09:01 on 20 October 2004  Report this post
Great - especially the last verse.

Marie

The Walrus at 13:41 on 20 October 2004  Report this post
Thanks Saz! Really pleased that you picked up on the fact that despite this being an uppy kinda piece, it actually is routed in gratitude.

Joanie, yes, absolutely, say it the way it is...!

Thanks Marie, glad you liked it.

Christina

Chem at 18:20 on 20 October 2004  Report this post
Bob

I have always tried to live my life by not having too many expectations for fear of them never being lived up to or not quite how I wanted things to be. I could very much sense the gratitude in this poem because things had been better than you'd expected and, if that's the case, it is a wonderful thing.

I like how you have used 'I didn’t expect' at the beginning of the four middle stanzas. And I really enjoyed what I read to be a juxtapositioning of your glee in finding out that life turned out to be something great 'Hoorah' next to the more philosophical 'No regrets, no apology -/learnt that one honey.... and could just hold in my sight/what really mattered'

The boing-ing/on the terrestrial trampoline is fantastic idea. Boing-ing should very much be its own word.

The way you close is superb; there could be no better ending for this poem.

I want to save this and, with your permission, have it read at my funeral!

A great piece filled with life and oozing with character.

Em


Don Gorgon at 18:42 on 20 October 2004  Report this post
The Walrus, I have to agree with everyting that's been said already about this poem, it is fantastic! Another one that made me smile from start to finish, especially the finish! As for 'boing-ing', overload the Oxford English dictionary with requests and get it in there!

Expectations - I have a favourite quote on this topic from Peter Tosh's tune, 'I am that I am'(Equal Rights LP), and it goes, 'I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations, neither are you here to live up to mine.', it is a great tune that I would recommend!

Great work, again!

Don

Elsie at 18:42 on 20 October 2004  Report this post
Walrus, love the terrestrial trampoline. How nice to get to a point where you only care about the important things.

The Walrus at 19:03 on 20 October 2004  Report this post
Hey Funky People - thanks! Really wasn't sure it would kinda work for others - am sooooo glad it has!

Yup, Em, you're right - living for future expectations is no way to live. Poem's yours babe, only please don't have need for it for a long long time to come.

Cheers Don, loved your boing-ing suggestion lol. Totally agree with quote from Peter Tosh's tune. Spot on.

Elsie, thanks, appreciated and glad you enjoyed it!

Walrus


roovacrag at 15:47 on 21 October 2004  Report this post
Red daughter, a great piece.Not sure I was a playmate,more a banter mother.You will be praying and dancing on my grave,unlees someone picks up your spelling on reeely,then we will dance on his lol.

xx Alice


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