Participate Poem

By Sue Ellson

 

I entered
I played
I performed
I stayed
I joined in
I went along
I didn’t give in

 

It didn’t matter if
I won or lost
It didn’t matter if
There was a cost

 

Of time
Of money
Of exposed fragility

 

It was awkward
I wasn’t perfect
Perhaps I could have been better
Who cares
Not me
I simply participated

 

Not one to sit by
And take life for a ride
Not one to live in fear
And miss out on a cheer

 

To participate is to live
To learn
To grow
Even if it feels
I am way too slow

 

I overcame my thoughts
Of ultimate perfection
And in the process
Created my own resurrection

 

Onwards I go
To participate again
Flawed and fallible
Slightly incredible
But so much better off
Than believing anything’s impossible

 

As mentioned in my post on the Australian Poetry Slam Boroondara Heat, I wrote this poem after sharing my poem ‘Love Within‘ on 11 September 2021. Back on 16 December 2007, I was in a combined churches choir. I was so ‘bad’ at singing they put me in the back row well away from a microphone. Next to me, there was a woman who had a stroke several years ago and she could sing, but she couldn’t keep up with the song lyrics. So I sang, to some extent, but I also kept the woman next to me in time with the song lyrics. I was so happy to help her and in my view, it was more important to be a part of the choir and contribute in my own way rather than be a perfect singer. I didn’t join the choir again, and I am yet to re-start any regular singing activity, but I will get there one day! I actually did a singing workshop this year…more to come. With love, Sue Ellson 🙂

Photo is of the Combined Churches Choir performing at the Come Celebrate Concert at the Whitehorse Sound Shell in Nunawading, Melbourne on 16 December 2007.

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