[Today’s post is part of a new series of short parables about the creative life, chosen from my almost forty years as a creativity coach. Please enjoy! To be in touch, you can reach me at [email protected]. To subscribe to my Craft of Coaching weekly newsletter, please visit here. To subscribe to “Tales of the Creative Life,” please visit here.
The poets Jane and Sylvia were having coffee at a café. In their other lives, they worked unhappily in the corporate world. But on this Sunday morning, they were inhabiting their poet’s body.
Jane had brought along some printed-out poems to share with Sylvia. But Sylvia was not in the mood.
“Here is a beautiful poem by Dylan Thomas,” Jane said.
Sylvia waved the poem away. “No, doubt,” she said. “But who needs yet another poem?”
“Here is a beautiful poem by Emily Dickinson,” Jane offered.
Sylvia waved Emily Dickinson away, too. “No doubt. But who needs yet another poem?”
“This is a very beautiful poem by Pablo Neruda,” Jane said, handing the poem in Sylvia’s direction.
Again, Sylvia refused. “Yes. But who needs yet another poem?”
Resigned to be rebuffed, Jane made one last try. “This poem by Mary Oliver is gorgeous,” she said.
“No doubt,” Sylvia replied. “But who needs yet another poem?”
Just then, an angel came down from Heaven and joined them at their table. He ordered a sparkling water and smiled at the two poets. Jane and Sylvia waited for him to speak, since one naturally deferred to angels. But he just nodded, smiled, and continued saying nothing.
Sylvia shook her head. “See,” she said to Jane. “Angels have no advice, either.”
The angel grew sad, and after a few moments began weeping.
“What’s the matter?” Jane cried. Sylvia remained stoic and indifferent. She frowned at the angel, as if he were part of the problem.
The angel waved away Jane’s concern. “It’s just … did I hear you right?” he said, addressing Sylvia. “Did you say, ‘Who needs yet another poem?’”
“That’s exactly what I said,” Sylvia replied. “And I mean it.” After a moment, she continued, “There are so many millions of poems already. And no one cares about them, not even about the greatest poems. And the world is too tough a place for poetry. I bet you don’t even care about poetry in Heaven. Do you?” Sylvia said accusingly.
The angel wiped away his tears. “There is indeed poetry in Heaven,” he whispered. “It’s Hell that has no poetry.”
“Right. So you say,” Sylvia replied bitterly. “Well, here on Earth, poetry is just not wanted.”
The angel seemed to shake his head sadly. Or maybe it was just a breeze passing. The two poets parted ways, as there were chores waiting. That evening, and late into the night, Sylvia found herself reading poem after poem, while weeping.
**
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Eric Maisel is an internationally-respected diplomat coach who specializes in creativity coaching, existential wellness coaching, and relationship coaching. He trains coaches and provides workshops and webinars nationally and internationally.
Dr. Maisel is the author of 50+ books, writes the “Rethinking Mental Health” blog for Psychology Today (with 3.5 million views), blogs for The Good Men Project and Fine Art America, serves as lead editor for the Ethics International Press Critical Psychology and Critical Psychiatry series, and is co-founder of Purposely, the life navigation app.
Dr. Maisel’s books include Fearless Creating, Rethinking Depression, Coaching the Artist Within, The Van Gogh Blues, The Power of Daily Practice, Redesign Your Mind, and scores of other titles. He has been published by Penguin Random House, McGraw Hill, Rodale, Harper San Francisco, Shambhala, New World Library, and Conari/Mango, among many others.
Dr. Maisel has created three certificate programs with Noble-Manhattan Coaching, a Creativity Coach Certificate and Diploma Program, an Existential Wellness Coach Certificate Program, and a Certified Relationship Coach program. With Lynda Monk of the International Association for Journal Writing, Dr. Maisel has created an Art of Journal Coaching Self-Study Plus program.
Dr. Maisel’s most recent books are Why Smart, Creative and Highly Sensitive People Hurt (2023), Affirmations for Self-Love (with Lynda Monk, 2024), Parents Who Bully (2024), and Choose Your Life Purposes (2024). Dr. Maisel lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and maintains a thriving international coaching practice.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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