(image: Gold detail on the façade of the Folies Bergère cabaret music hall in Paris, by Maurice Pico (1926)

‘Whatever' is a poem about not needing to find or fix ourselves. It speaks to the joy of creating from the ‘undulating being' of an imperfect life and self. You can find it in my book of motivational poems, Keepers.

Whatever

Whatever you do,
my dear maker,
don’t go seeking yourself,
or seeking to improve.

Your treasure is not hidden,
away, and nothing whatever
in you needs to be fixably fixed.

You, my beauty, are what
you are and whatever you
are currently creating from that.

Just indulge. You don’t need
to be political, or emblematical.
Charitable or intellectual.

Lay down your need to repent
whatever happened back when.
The motion you seek is release.

Relent. Then whatever you make
from the undulating being
you’ve been given,
make it loud.
Do it proud.