Is My Verse Alive?

from Criteria For Being by Scott Steven Erickson

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lyrics

Emily Dickinson’s artistry
was limited to her private life
Like Van Gogh, only posthumously
did their masterful creations thrive
The tragedy of the artist
always left doubting:
“…if my verse is alive?”

Vivian Maier remained undiscovered
as her prerogative
Two years before death, she couldn’t pay rent
so they auctioned off her negatives
Recognition clearly wasn’t her motive
for creating
so much beauty
as she did

I’m not really the type
to pursue fame and glory
But I don’t want to end up
another tragic allegory
Another artist struggling
or resigning to
an existence either weary
or boring
How do I find a way
To survive without selling out?
To just earn an honest living
doing what I’m so impassioned about
I’m always at the crossroads of deciding
whether to give up on my dreams
on my artistry, sign out
And then lead a quiet life behind a desk
comforting myself “you did your best”
but it wasn’t enough
It just wasn’t enough
It wasn’t enough

credits

from Criteria For Being, released September 29, 2018

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Scott Steven Erickson Olympia, Washington

Upbeat, quirky, and just a tad bit nihilistic.

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