"There's no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." : Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
From the closet of life,
Or from the sack of my own imagination
I extract many untold stories
I stuff them in the diary of my
mind
I bond with them deeply
Yet forget sometimes…
They shuffle and struggle
To get out
Like a caged bird
To be heard and shine
I grumble as I try to settle
The whirlpool of those untold
stories
Lovely imageries dance
And I envisage them to take
beautiful shapes
I try but they jumble and I fail, sometimes…
This misery is painless
But
True, there’s no greater agony
Than bearing untold stories
inside you…
I have already mentioned in some
of my posts that I’m an eternal thinker. My mind is always occupied with myriads of thoughts. I don't know if my mind is ever free of thoughts. I think, if I could give my thoughts and imagination perfect shape I could write hundred of stories and article but as I have said, I fail sometimes and it's very frustrating.
See this video where Maya Angelou reads her poem 'Phenomenal Woman'
Read this beautiful poem @ Write Tribe
Sharing with: Three Words Wednesday
Ugh, it looks like Blogger may have eaten my comment. If this is a duplicate, I'm sorry. I wanted to say that I love this quote. I struggled for many years to become a renowned writer. I stopped doing so when I realized that this struggle was taking away the joy of writing the stories inside me.
ReplyDeleteI am glad to have discovered your blog, and am now a follower. :-)
My quote and thoughts are here.
http://slyfawkes.wordpress.com/2014/06/05/a-world-without-she-roes/
Thank you so much for visiting and following my blog! :)
DeleteI extract many untold stories
ReplyDeleteI think every person has many untold stories languishing in their minds but are not able to bring them to the surface , whatever the reasons may be.
True Kalpana...
Deleteyou capture the life of storyteller perfectly
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
DeleteAh, untold stories are a terrible thing to waste. I enjoyed this.
ReplyDeleteThanks! :)
Deletebeautiful quote interpreted nicely in this post
ReplyDeleteInsult
Thank you! :)
DeleteVery beautiful poem! I loved your thought process...I hope all your untold stories spill out in the form of prose or poem or painting (Since you started painting)..You said you were never short of thoughts, then I'm eager to know have you ever faced writer block?
ReplyDeleteThank you Valli! :)
DeleteAbout writer's block, yes, it happens sometimes but I think it's just a state of mind, an excuse, when you actually don't want to think and write.
Lovely thoughts but sometimes we just have ti flow along.
ReplyDeleteTrue! Thanks :)
DeleteI have a feeling we, writers, have a lot of thoughts and stories in our heads. I find that the hardest part is to give them a shape that is meaningful to both me and those who might read my words while being faithful to what I feel.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's hard and frustrating...
DeleteIt really is hard to have those stories inside a person and no one to share with...perhaps it is a good thing to write them down. Even if they are not perfect, they will at least be preserved....and at some point you will treasure them, even in their imperfection.
ReplyDeleteYou're right Mary! Sometimes we struggle, but it's very satisfying when we are able to give them a shape...:)
DeleteThank you for this tribute to one of the best storytellers. It is not about success, but voice. With this poem you prove that you are doing it. Maya's grew out of many years of unabated silence. As President Clinton said at her memorial yesterday, what blew his mind is that in all those years of silence she had been PAYING ATTENTION. When the time is right, we speak.
ReplyDeleteVery well said about Paying Attention! Thank you for such a thoughtful comment! :)
DeleteI can feel those stories struggling to get out....write them all! And we'll keep reading!
ReplyDelete:) Thank you for your nice words!! :)
DeleteWhat is it 4 millennium ago when Plato taught that all knowledge it already within us and only need to be awakened. I think it is the same for Truth, and Love and Light and... and... and ... so perhaps it is also the same for stories? ? ?
ReplyDeleteVery thoughtful! Thank you :)
DeleteAbsolutely a beautiful, refreshing and endearing poem from the quote:)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! :)
DeleteChosen a very thoughtful quote which has taken another meaningful shape from you.
ReplyDelete