If Only I Could Play An Instrument

My last post was about poetry. It seems crazy to me considering how much I don't understand it and thus am scared to attempt to write it. Yet, I write what I must, what pops into my head and demands to be put on paper. Sometimes it's just lines that would not make a cohesive story but still they say what I want to tell. The only thing I can really categorize that as is poetry.

I'll admit I don't read much poetry but I do know there are some poems that I do admire. Although, the poetry I flock too is probably too well known and mainstream to count for much among true poetry lovers. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, many different children's poems by Shel Silverstein and Shakespeare sonnets are about the only thing, not in text books, on my book shelves.

A common thread is that they rhyme and when I attempt to write poetry, even if I try really hard not to, what I write usually rhymes. I'm not sure that it's considered high quality poetry these days if it rhymes.

So I'm thinking that maybe I'm not a poet. Perhaps I'm a lyricist. I love music. I can remember the words to just about any song I've heard more than two or three times. I really connect with music and I feel like most of my poetry would make decent song lyrics if they were tweaked a bit.

I would love to turn my rhyming poetry into songs. The only problem with this is that I have absolutely no musical talent at all. I can play the guitar a little. I would love to play the piano but I don't know how. Even if I did manage to learn to play then I would have to figure out how to write original music to go with my lyrics.

There may be the option of teaming up with someone who has musical talent but we see how that has gone as far as finding an artist for comic book projects.

Right now I don't think I'm anywhere near where I need to be to pursue anything as far as lyrics go. Maybe I should just work on the poetry and if I manage to be decent at that, then I can look into other things.

Of course, what I should really do is focus on my novel and short fiction. Or maybe I should just write whatever I feel I have to to keep my head from aching at the thought of having a brilliant idea be lost and never to be shared.