“Veins of Life,” by Miroslaw Chelchowski
Symbiosis in 100 words
Readers subconsciously demand soul ink. Symbiosis is in the writer’s sick need to bleed it, share it, and be rewarded for doing it.
Writers who withhold it will never rise above pathetic dreamers with trust issues.
Those who pour it out, beware your venue. I’ve seen veins emptied on sidewalks only to be trampled in the egotistic throng; or worse yet – ignored.
The reader may carry some residue of you on the bottoms of their shoes, but chances are slim at best that they will walk your way again.
Is that reality’s tension also part of the symbiotic cycle?
This post originally published at my recently created blog at substack.
Tao Talk 
Very moving and touching poem Li.
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Sadje, thank you. I wrote it just after waking up, sitting on the couch with first cuppajoe, and the cats sitting close.
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You’re welcome ☺️
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I don’t know why but when I read it I thought of Like A Rolling Stone or Positively 4th Street by Bob Dylan…especially the line “residue of you on the bottoms of their shoes”
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<3
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You know…I have the oddest comments…I don’t mean for them to be…but I just tell you what pops in my mind. I guess it’s the way your poems hit me.
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Max, I don’t see it as an odd comment other than you are comparing something I wrote to a Bob Dylan lyric, which makes my day. Thank you.
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Yea…there is that…so yea I guess it’s a good thing! Well now you made mine.
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Good!
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Nice 👍
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Thanks!
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Welcome 🌹freinds
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Love it, especially the caution of beware of your venue … too true.
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Thanks, Paul. I’ve seen some of the most gorgeous writing that nobody sees because of where it’s at.
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Yes, hidden in the wrong platforms sadly.
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This certainly made me think. Does a writer need a reader? A reader needs a writer, but I’m not sure the reverse is true. (K)
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For me, I guess it depends. Writing is catharsis in and of itself and needs no reader. Some things written aren’t meant to be shared. Somethings are purposely meant to be shared to build community of some sort. Sometimes writing feels like a howl (as Simik says) in order to find your own pack. Kerfe, I can’t imagine not being a reader and a writer and I’d feel very isolated if nobody heard my howl and responded in some fashion.
In the same vein, what about your art? I think you’d be creating art whether anyone saw it or not, but isn’t there some intangible benefit you glean from others seeing it and appreciating it?
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I would be both writing and creating art no matter what. Before the internet there was no audience for my work. Sometimes when I look at the lives and work of artists and writers who are “successes” when they are young I wonder how much it has restricted them from exploring new ways. Too often they get stuck in expectations.
I do like the feedback, which often surprises me. But I spent so long working basically in isolation that it doesn’t really affect what I do–except the way seeing others’ work inspires me to try new things. The internet and its trove of connections has definitely opened new ways to create and think. That I like a lot.
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Kerfe you bring up a very good point about the passion to create art in the days before internet. Also about audience. I think of Van Gogh who never sold a painting (iirc) until after he died. Even without the internet I think artists had/have face to face conversations with others that do what you say in your comment.
Thank you for engaging with the essay. I love this dialogue <3
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That’s true. One reason Nina and I started memadtwo was as an easy way to communicate our art to each other without the clunkiness of sending photos by email. I had no idea such a thing as followers even existed, and was flabbergasted when Nina told me we had one. When we were young and worked together and she still lived in Manhattan we used to just get together after work to make art. Another lifetime altogether.
I enjoy our discussions as well.
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A wonderful post Lisa! :-) I’ve never heard of substack! xo
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It’s a growing writer’s forum with big names having blogs there.
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