The Perfect Poem

Years upon years of preparation had gone into this event now unfolding.
The Lonely Poet sat before a blank sheet of paper at his desk, pen in hand,
with lines of concentration across his brow.

He had spent many months purifying his mind with the greatest poets of history:
the most prolific, the most renowned, the most bizarre and the most obscure.

He was ready.

Deep inside himself he knew that his entire life had been building towards this moment –
made for this moment.
He was ready to fulfil the goal that would give his life meaning:

The perfect poem.
Once written his life would be complete.

Beads of sweat now lined his forehead.
A multitude of combinations were flying through his mind.
Everything depended upon the first sentence –
the very first word.
Every aspect of the poem had to be perfect.
Each decision was crucial.

The sweat began to pour off his body as he concentrated ever more furiously.
All night the Lonely Poet sat there till the sun slowly crept into his room.
He could sense the quiet awe of angels hovering overhead
as the pen dropped from his aching hand.

Satisfied, he pushed himself away from his desk and the perfect poem,
and walked outside to embrace his death.

Inside, the angels hovered closer,
whispering together as they marvelled at the majesty of his work.

Later, much later, another poet happened across the lonely room.
Feeling inspired, he picked up the pen and began to scribble
over the top of what was once perfection.

The life's work of the Lonely Poet was lost in that moment of creation.

Who was more foolish?
The fool who left a page unmarked and labelled it perfection,
or the fool who thought himself worthy of destroying it?

More comments:

• On Monday, August 17, 2009, BrokenButterflyWings (37) wrote:
  
  wow, years later and I stumble across this again. I can't remember now what I was expecting then, but this piece invokes an image that stays with you. Beautifully done.
  
  
• On Friday, November 7, 2008, Lylani (146) wrote:
  
  Absolutely fantastic...I'm speachless
  
  
• On Saturday, May 20, 2006, veingo (458) wrote:
  
  Ha! I almost missed it. But then i looked a little closer. Fantastic. ^V^
  
  
• On Saturday, May 20, 2006, BrokenButterflyWings (37) wrote:
  
  lol i really expected something else... but i like it...
  
  
• A former member wrote: -oh yeah;brilliant.-silver
  
  
• A former member wrote: wow.that's all i wanted to say.-silver
  
  
• A former member wrote: i really do like this one. you're freaking great!
  
  
• A former member wrote: The fool is the Lonely Poet, in my opinion. I think it's sensible to say that what matters most about a poem is the poem itself. The paper it's on isn't what makes a poem unique, it's the words that make it up. One blank piece of paper is the same as
  
  
• A former member wrote: another blank piece of paper, but one poem isn't the same as another poem. As long as the words are the same, the poem made up of those words is the same. Graphitised wall, computer monitor, recycled cardboard, it's all the same if the words are same.
  
  
• A former member wrote: The blank piece of paper is just a blank piece of paper. It might be 'complete', but it's not really perfect or unique. But I'm being kind of hypocritical here, as one of my poems here talks about a blank piece of work in a similar tone…
  
  
• On Friday, September 16, 2005, Philla (109) wrote:
  
  This is beautiful! I love how this page looked blank at first until I highlighted it. (Am I just stupid? Cause I find that brilliant) Went along with the poem too. Wonderful job. -*Philla*- (sorry I'm a bit slow on dates)
  
  
• On Friday, September 9, 2005, Bellezza (19) wrote:
  
  Wow...spectacular. Excellent job.
  
  
• On Sunday, September 4, 2005, Lydia Jade (1087) wrote:
  
  well said...lol...brilliant work
  
  
• On Sunday, September 4, 2005, lollipoplips (103) wrote:
  
  .......hmmm...I don't get it...oh! There is no perfect poem! okay, okay...i get it now! lol
  
  
• On Sunday, September 4, 2005, precarious pixie (19) wrote:
  
  *speechlessness* i do believe your my hero.inside your mind must be amazing...and completly upside down.
  
  
• On Saturday, August 27, 2005, SamoneDrone (351) wrote:
  
  hmmm... either way i thouroughly enjoyed this write in all its glory. ....-samone
  
  
• On Friday, August 19, 2005, serotonin lost (217) wrote:
  
  the fool that fealt worthy of destroying it, for his crime was arrogance while the poets was ignorance, at least the angels know of the perfect poem..
  
  
• On Monday, August 8, 2005, vaultgrl (212) wrote:
  
  it's a hard choice....great write
  
  
• On Sunday, July 31, 2005, toy soldier (31) wrote:
  
  wow... i dig it.
  
  
• On Saturday, July 30, 2005, ApathysKiss (426) wrote:
  
  hehe well said, you =).