Face-Saver

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

Few of us can say in all honesty that we have no regrets, and have made no mistakes. Even so, there is no point in crying over spilt milk. (As good a philosophy as any, I say.) Besides, sometimes we need to make mistakes in order to discover our true path in life; we can but try and learn from them and move on. Life is a learning curve, after all.

When I look back at my worse mistakes I can also see how some good has come from having made them. Whatever, if you want to do something badly enough, I wholeheartedly agree with giving it a go; if it turns out to be a mistake, better regret having tried and failed than wonder how things might have turned out. [Story of my life…] Besides, all poetry needs must expose at least glimpses of life's negatives if only to encourage its positives to shine through. 

I am often asked by heterosexual readers if I regret including gay-interest poems in my collections and if it has damaged my reputation as a poet in the wider arena. The answer is ‘no’ to the first question. As for the second…yes, it has probably adversely affected my reputation as a poet in the wider arena (and why the arts media practically ignore me) but…no, I have no regrets.

While I can't expect to please everyone with every poem I write (nor do I exclude myself) but have received some lovely emails from readers all over the world who enjoy reading them. What poet can ask for more?  Although I do not allow comments - too many idiots spoiling posts for genuine readers, and I leave social media well alone for the same reason - do feel free to email me any time on any subject. I will always reply as soon as I can. If you don’t like my poetry, but still want to exchange points of view, no problem.

Contact rogertab@aol.com; with ‘Blogs’ or ‘Poems’ in the subject field.

FACE-SAVER

I move without favour or prejudice

among men, women, children;

to whomsoever calls me out, I will

always answer, no one denied

the music I'll bring, blues I'll sing;

rich, poor, famous, infamous, saints

and sinners…all welcome to tap

into a wisdom some like to call Fate,

lessons learned too late

I touch without favour or prejudice

the loose thread missing a button,

that odd sock, empty vase in rooms

yawning with boredom for what’s

on TV, and must have heard that CD

a thousand times (surely?) though

any sound has to be better than none,

answerable (finally) to a plaintive purr

beside a lap tray set for one

I bury without favour or prejudice

forgotten dreams, misspent ideals,

all wishful thinking on falling stars

meant to compensate humanity

for its brooding on old letters, photos,

poems, home videos…all as dead

as the cat whose purr the ear recalls

where the inner eye revisits every day

at a lonely table set for one

First among equals among the human race

is selective memory, a face-saving grace

Copyright R. N. Taber 2007; 2020

[Note: An earlier version of this poem appears under the title 'Regret' in Accomplices to Illusion by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books 2007,]