To be a writer ….
He who would true valor see,
let him come hither.
One here will constant be,
come bad or fair weather.
No line length can him fright,
he’ll with a paragraph fight,
and he will have a right,
to be a writer.
Those who beset him round
with dismal stories,
do but themselves confound:
his strength the more is.
There’s no discouragement
will make him once relent
his first avowed intent,
to be a writer.
Rejections nor bad critics
can daunt his spirit.
He knows he at the end
will a book inherit.
So critics fly away,
he’ll fear not what they say,
he’ll labor night and day
to be a writer.
Comment: John Bunyan tempted me and I fell into temptation. In fact, as my good friend Oscar Wilde once said: “I can resist anything except temptation.” So, ladies and gentlemen, change the he to a she or the pronoun of your choice, turn the writer to a sculptor, stoneist, poet, playwright, painter, novelist, dramatist, comedian, song-writer, singer. Breathe deep. Believe in your own artistic talent and remember: “Genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.” Remember this too: “You’ll never get to Vancouver by bus, if you get off the bus at Montreal or Toronto.”
rogermoorepoet 
Dear Roger: I might quibble with your percentages of perspiration vs inspiration, but I enjoyed this. I always love to read a hymn embedded in poetry. Glad to learn that O Wilde was/is a friend. You do go back. With unbroken respect, Jan Hull
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Oh Jan: they came from my rather backward school education, those definitions. All the writers I have read and enjoyed are my friends. You too! You join the ranks of those who have entered my mind and influenced me. Seneca is a good friend, and Heraclitus, and Socrates … and I am not THAT old. Thanks for being here and giving me my title scroll! Genius.
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This is a great take on Bunyan, made me chuckle which was needed! And I’m sure he would have enjoyed too. Actually possibly not, get the feeling he wasn’t in it for the laughs! Cheers Roger
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Definitely not in it for the laughs, Polly! You need the Vicar of Bray for this one. Actually, it’s quite a serious take: too many people, especially beginners, give up too easily. I hope the N&C still run (remember them?) You won’t get from Swansea to Cardiff if you get out at Neath! I think the old brown and yellow Swan buses stopped running before I came to Canada, and we won’t talk about my beloved Mumbles Railway. Good to see you here again. All best wishes for the new year.
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We have First Cymru buses in whole region (pale purple, generic branding and definitely no swans!) But services have been hit by Covid.
And we could all do with some rousing Bunyan-esque to keep us at it. I haven’t dipped in much mainly cos of time and weak inspiration, but also I’m finding WordPress really difficult to navigate in terms of posting, replying and finding old favourites like yourself (tho less of the old obviously!)
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The new word press is a bit baffling. But if you check, you will find classic there and that’s easier for some. A couple of my blogging friends have returned to it. A, de mi Alhambra! Ay de mi Brown and yellow buses! Up the Mayals and over Bishopston Common. I walk it in my sleep some nights.
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Well done, Roger. This comes very close to identifying the effort (and perils) of the would-be writer. I also loved that, in your effort to change things up, you applied a meter and a rhyme scheme. This is a great success, IMO. Chuck
On Mon., Jan. 11, 2021, 9:48 a.m. rogermoorepoet, wrote:
> rogermoorepoet posted: ” Photo by my good friend, Geoff Slater. Books by > yours truly, who stayed on the bus and believed. To be a writer …. He who > would true valor see,let him come hither.One here will constant be,come bad > or fair weather.No line length can him fright,he” >
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You too stayed on the bus, Chuck (you are the novelist in the comments!), and a cozy time you are now having! Feet up and back home where you belong! Give us a call sometime!
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