Not good enough for brilliance but
Too good to ignore
In an era where skills must be monetized
But the effort of monetizing work is a hidden burden
Lurking behind a hill, blotting out a sunset
I'm coming to hate my art
I can string bright glowing glass and sparkling stones
With iridescent shells to make a necklace
It's not good enough
I can knit fluffy soothing yarn or soft chenille or
Perky daring colorful novelty fibers into
Improbably cosy sweaters
It's not good enough
I weave descriptions and worlds from dust
And imagined shadows into aching glory
It's not good enough
I can sing trembling lines of poetry and melody
from silence and stillness into colour
It's not good enough
To survive under capitalism
What happened to the starry future skies
We used to dream up,
With mechanized wonders and lives of leisure
And brilliant new attractions and follies
Everything is either popular, for rich people, or carefully faked
I hate my art because
I'm not famous on tiktok
Because at some point art has started to feel like
Palliative care for the soul
And regardless of skill
I'm too ugly to go viral
***
A writer and professional freelance editor, Michelle
Browne lives in Lethbridge, AB with her partners-in-crime and their cats. She
is currently working on the next books in her series, other people's
manuscripts, knitting, jewelry-making, and drinking as much tea as humanly
possible.