Genius
People were trying to tell him he was a genius, but he just wanted to be normal.
He felt normal.
No matter how many great things he accomplished, or how many
people he helped, he just wanted to be considered normal.
He considered himself normal.
His friends and family would brand him with great names of the past, but he just wanted to be called by his own less than great name.
A name with no significance.
Yet, there have also been many who shared his name and were called “genius” as well, but he had no desire to be compared to them.
He desires to be compared only to himself.
But his desire to be “normal,” is the sole reason people called him a genius. Because the truth is, he was special. Not for being successful or generous, but for being the one thing everyone struggles to be…
He was simply himself.
November 22, 2024 at 8:42 am
Jon I really liked this poem. I thought that you did a great job using rhyme throughout the poem. I also really liked just the idea your poem brought up. This is a very unique type of genius that many people myself included never would have thought of. I really liked this unique aspect of genius as the genius was being comfortable in them self. Great poem all around.
November 22, 2024 at 12:06 pm
As with the other writings of yours that I’ve read, this is very well written and a pleasure to read. The third paragraph especially stood out to me, and the last line “A name with no significance”, made me think of the sort of irony of the character. Many people view a name lacking any sort of importance to be a bad thing, but for the subject of the piece, it’s what he desires. To just be an individual, not heralded as a genius or compared to anyone else. I like that, and I like the ending. The way you put a positive spin on what would otherwise be a story about lamenting what the subject cannot have (at least, as I interpreted it). The fact that you turned the last paragraph into further praise on the subject of the story, even though praise is what he doesn’t want, is a really interesting choice that I think ties it together quite nicely.