Any sort of pretension induces mediocrity in art and life alike.
quote by Margot Fonteyn
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Great artists are people who find the way to be themselves in their art. Any sort of pretension induces mediocrity in art and life alike.
quote by Margot Fonteyn
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I May Well Be A Mediocrity
I MAY WELL BE A MEDIOCRITY
I may well be a mediocrity
One who tries and tries
But never really inspires-
I may well be one of the many
Called but not chosen-
I may be more another small unimportant disturbance
Than one whose work is of real meaning and value-
I may well be a mediocrity
And an ultimate nothing-
Whose words are now saved by a new technology
But will be dust forever -
I may well be a mediocrity
Despite wanting so much not to be-
I may well be a mediocrity
And probably am-
In which case I apologize
To the reader of this
If there is one
For taking your time.
poem by Shalom Freedman
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I Am Not Proud Of Being A Mediocrity
I AM NOT PROUD OF BEING A MEDIOCRITY
I am not proud of being a mediocrity-
But if I am
Does this mean
I should stop writing forever?
Does it mean I should spend the rest of my life
In bitter angry lament?
If I am a mediocrity
And chances are good that I am
Then perhaps I should just try to live with it
And understand
The only one who's time will be wasted
And who will give attention to all this writing I have done
Is me.
Mediocrity or not,
I can still try to be a fairly decent human being.
poem by Shalom Freedman
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Two Alike
Two Alike
Two Entities
Pulsating alike—
Two hearts
Beating alike—
Two minds
Throbbing alike—
Two souls
Singing alike!
Has anyone seen
Such a like
In this world
Where nothing is alike?
poem by Chandra Thiagarajan
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You all know I have terminal cancer-and I have a lot of it. But what you may not know is that stress induces its spread and induces its activity. Stress may even bring it on. Yet stress is the fuel of the activist.
quote by Tom McCall
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Mediocrity
Mediocrity is the cursed of the damned!
Failure to great men
Who set their bows
And aim skywards
To strike their starry targets.
Mediocrity is success though
For lesser mortals...............
Short sighted non-visionaries
Who always hope for lady luck
To bail them out
Of their misfortune recurrent.
So then, for many
Mediocrity is success!
To a select few......
An abject failure!
poem by Enoch John
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Variability is the law of life, and as no two faces are the same, so no two bodies are alike, and no two individuals react alike and behave alike under the abnormal conditions which we know as disease.
quote by William Osler
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
quote by Joseph Heller
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Mediocrity would always win by force of numbers, but it would win only more mediocrity.
quote by Ellen Glasgow
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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It's Hard To Be Me
You see me everywhere, in my underwear
You may wonder what I'm here to sell
But underneath my stare, I'm so naked there
There are secrets I'm dying to tell
It's Hard to be Me
Nobody knows what it's like to be
The envy of mediocrity
If you could see
All my depth and complexity
I'd think you'd agree
It's Hard to be Me; It's Hard to be Me
I am up here alone, on my glamorous throne
Want to thank all you people down there
I was once an unknown, like you but I've grown
I have so much I'm hoping to share
It's Hard to be Me
Nobody knows what it's like to be
The envy of mediocrity
If you could see
All my depth and complexity
I'd think you'd agree
It's Hard to be Me, It's Hard to be Me
I guess you think that it's hard for you
Walking 'round in your little shoes
You don't know how I've sacrificed
To live this life, to look so nice
It's Hard to be Me
Nobody knows what it's like to be
The envy of mediocrity
If you could see
All my depth and complexity
I'd think you'd agree
It's Hard to be Me, It's Hard to be Me
Me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me
song performed by by Cyndi Lauper
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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There Is A Poetry Of Mediocrity
There is a poetry of mediocrity-
One simply utters whatever is on one's mind
In whatever language it happens to come-
One says the simplest thing in the plainest way
One expresses the moment-
Anyone can write the poetry of mediocrity
And everyone can read it-
I know what it is
I have written it often
And you are reading it now.
poem by Shalom Freedman
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Intended And Meant To Enforce
Ignoring the opportunity,
To keep flourishing the growth of possibilities...
Leads to a diminishing of mediocrity.
And once a mediocrity encouraged leaves...
A dropping to scratch the bottom,
Invites a decadence to live and thrive...
As if intended and meant to enforce,
With an endorsement that is advocated.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Some people are born mediocre, some people achieve mediocrity, and some people have mediocrity thrust upon them.
Joseph Heller in Catch-22
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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And If I Am A Mediocrity?
AND IF I AM A MEDIOCRITY?
And if I am a mediocrity?
And what I have written is not worthy of remembrance?
And if I belong to the great mass of those not good enough?
And if all I have done disappears as if it never were?
And I also?
Should I blame myself
Or simply say God made me not good enough?
Should I feel sad and a failure
Or simply resign myself to what is the case?
Should I protest in anger
Or simply go on meeting the obligations of my life
As best I can?
I know the answer.
Being the best person I can
Especially to those closest to me
Is what is most important.
Mediocre or not as a writer
I must try to be a decent human being-
This is what the service of God really means-
And this is what all of us can try to do,
Wherever we are in the world of work and accomplishment.
poem by Shalom Freedman
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Black And White So Alike
In my journey in life, I met many people and many issues
and I used many tissues, cried many tears thru the years.
I found people of color are similar to white and alike
in so many ways, they have feelings like white people
and maybe even more, people say to me why you bother
with people of color, I say people are people, color
and white are so alike, have feelings so alike and they
can bond like anyone else, talk for hours and laughs
about little things and big things.
People of color and white are so alike I am greatful to have
met special people in my life, make me feel good when I am down,
make me laugh when I cry, tell me its okay to feel sad, and thats
not bad to feel down sometimes because thats how it is, People of color and white so alike in many ways, they share sorrow and pain, cry
and laugh together, have long or short lunch or just walk
around corner its still something to talk about.
People of color and white so alike in many ways and thats what I say
and I will miss my friend now that she moved on, but our friendship stayed on....
poem by Hedi Vlacich
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You can sort of be married, you can sort of be divorced, you can sort of be living together, but you can't sort of have a baby.
quote by David Shire
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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How Unappropriate
Chasing mediocrity,
To seek an approval...
Is to deny one's best efforts.
Just because there is a variety of sleaze,
Presented in acceptable decadence...
Does not mean quality is not appreciated.
It just appears that everyone seeks mediocrity.
And those who desire an occasional taste of lowlife,
Do not necessarily welcome this in their homes.
They are the first to announce how unappropriate this is!
And what should be done to monitor such behavior.
As ideas to create new employment situations for themselves.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Democracy... is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.
Mediocrity Is Not An Effort That Succeeds
I do not pursue a challenge with you.
No.
Not at all.
I am on a quest,
To outdo 'my' best!
And having me to critique,
My own efforts made...
I wouldn't wish this kind of pressure,
On anyone else.
You should hear some of the things I say!
I am too forgiving of others' attempts.
And much too strict...
When accepting what I believe,
Is a commitment to achieve...
What I deem for myself as 'sheer' mediocrity.
And mediocrity is not an effort that succeeds.
Not for me as a motivator,
Pushing towards a direction that pleases.
It is for me an acceptance of procrastination.
And I have already given myself accolades for that.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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0176 Letter to a Well-known Contemporary Poet
I wanted to write to you about your poems,
that is, about something I couldn't quite put my finger on
so I didn't write in case it sounded inconsequential
and it's silly to write to a poet who handles words so expertly,
inconsequentially..
Inconsequential. That's it. I appreciate that you want to stress
life's inconsequentiality - this happens, that happens, but
we're none the wiser - that's a modern concern, I appreciate,
no neat wrapping life up with a brisk end-rhyme...
but how can I put this tactfully, inconsequentiality
or is it tangentiality
can seem to the reader eager to extract meaning
that is, the poet's meaning, as near as can be...
inconsequentiality can seem...obscure...
for this very reason, since it's difficult
to share the same inconsequentiality
if you see what I mean
and this unintentional obscurity
can sometimes seem
of course I know you wouldn't
but let's say to an uninformed superficial reader -
like pretension?
I hope you don't mind my mentioning this
it's only because I do admire your writing so much
and I know that the prizes and awards you've won
proves that no-one could possibly accuse you of pretension
it's just that I thought I should say how it seems
to a very ordinary reader. I hope you will read this
in the spirit it's meant. And I do look forward
very much to reading your next book
now the library stocks them.
poem by Michael Shepherd
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