Tupelo 11/30: Wrestling My Inner Perfectionist

Dear Reader,

This poem is a two-for-one!! It's written in response to my friend, the poet/artist Mary Artley Warner's request to write a poem on the theme of "wrestling one's inner perfectionist," AND it includes five words (breath, grind, mountain, quadricep, and rain) offered by another dear friend, Emily Heerema Smith. 

I have an inner (and outer) perfectionist.

She's me and not me. The closer I am to becoming her, the less realistic/human I am, which also is a form of imperfection (because perfection is balanced, in my warped sense anyway). But maybe this twisted conundrum offers hope. Perhaps perfection doesn't mean not failing, but rising again. 

Here is an excerpt of "Wrestling My Inner Perfectionist" (read the full poem on Tupelo Press' 30/30 blog):

"...I take the advantage, elbows in,
but a quick skitter and she’s back door, I’m
belly down, left arm barred. I’ve known her
my whole life, given chase through fallow fields,
dust blooming in our wake, scaled the same
precipitous mountain of self-doubt. It’s me 

who shames me; she doesn’t talk down."

These poetry incentive requests have lead to some really exciting creative opportunities.

If you would like to title one of my poems, select five words for a poem, give me a potential theme/topic, offer a formal challenge, or receive a chapbook at the end of this project, please see my first posting for incentive amounts and make your way to the Tupelo Press donation page. Be sure to select my name from the scroll down tab titled "Is this donation in honor of a 30/30 poet?" 

Yours in poetry,

Emari