Come Steal My Metaphor

For those who steal with impunity.

“Steal My Metaphor”

Oh, Sweet Saint of Coffee-Table

Love and Pain -

I want you to steal my metaphor.

Slap it on your cracking, 

peeling walls

so people think

there’s hope in uselessness.

Come closer, darling.

I have a deliciously new,

novel metaphor.

Straight from the spinning mills

of my suffering.

Come, steal my metaphor.

Your hollow bones are,

screaming for marrow.

I want you to steal it-

post it, sell it, grab the proceeds.

Take the credit.

Aren’t we all 'one thread' in the universe?

You, the giant fake,

me, your wispy ghostwriter.

This poem?

It’s a masterclass,

“How to Steal a Metaphor 

and Influence People.”

Step One - Believe you deserve it.

Confidence is key here,

my dearest of dears.

Entitlement is mandatory.

It’s your birthright.

So steal with privilege.

Step Two - Prowl on velvet paws

until you find a vulnerable poet.

They’re easy to spot -

slightly soiled, thrift-store thin,

breaking at the edges.

Approach gently,

Whisper, “We are so connected.”

Then let your nimble fingers

slip into their pockets -

pick and run.

In the captions, write:

“Scribbled while asleep at 3 am.”

Step Three - Stand in front 

of your mirror,

saying it slow - “IT. IS. MINE.”

On repeat, louder.

Until you believe it.

This step is the swiftest 

and the easiest. 

Congratulations!

See how easy it was? 

I told you - 

Art is a free for all buffet.

Steaming trays of stolen metaphors 

Just waiting for you to 

sprinkle your sauce on them. 

Load your plate, darling.

And when you’re full,

Rest and ruminate fatly upon your couch,

cradling your belly,

engorged with another’s blood-

Till it’s dark and you’re 

buzzing with thirst again.

~~~~~

Author's Note

A friend had her metaphor brazenly stolen. She closed her account.

Reviews

[Dennis Wolf]

Well, in another way of looking at it, she should be flattered to high heaven... Lemme explain right quick.

We all feel good when our efforts are validated and recognized... Well, what greater validation can one ask than someone so dazzled, taken by their works that he or she would simply copy and paste the product of such skill?

We each steal the crafts of our choice, and I'll say that as blatantly as possible, because that's how it is. We steal it, because "teachers" are eager to teach you everything that had not worked for them either. Just look at all the "writing advice" by some of the logic they share, you'd never get to writing a narrative, you'd be bogged down in trying to figure out how best to describe things and also move the narrative along... And how to say something and be 100% certain that everyone will have the same interpretation of it(which you can't)

I've no words of comfort beyond these, for what use are they, knowing that whatever I say will not take away the pain 🤔🙄

Beautifully written

[DIVYA]

Thanks Dennis. The person in question was really creative and did not deserve to be ripped off like that. Some people here are very brazen. Protect your work too.

[Dennis Wolf]

I have no need of protection for now at least. Hardly anyone bothers with my tedious work, since none of it is poetry. Also, as prose goes, it takes a bit more imagination than watching a tiktok video. Since I use adjectives and adverbs and do not care about the pointless arguments insisting on spoon feeding people... It's fantasy I write, if you lack imagination, this genre is not for you anyway... Well, nuff said about that. If they did steal any part of it, huh, I'd be flattered beyond words to describe such. 😂Hahaha but it won't happen.


I am sorry, for what happened to your friend and quite possibly, you as well. Unfortunately, not every person has a life philosophy of conscience. They either have none, are materialistic, or choose religion based magical thinking 🤔but all that is tedious talk, best reserved for essays and such. Maybe if we feel like it, we can write one together and watch how many illicit copies are made 🤔🙄😂😂😂

[DIVYA]

The ripping off is mostly termed "inspirational' :)
I don't believe in that kind of inspiration.

As for that friend, thanks for the kind words. Yes, she is brilliant and has shut shop and left. It didn't feel good to see someone else capitalize on their creation while they got sidelined. It happened in April when I was travelling and I came to learn of it only yesterday.

[Dennis Wolf]

No, I don't mean ripping off, I mean adopting technique. That's just how anyone had ever learnt to do anything beyond what they themselves were capable of before. In time it becomes their own through lots of practice... It'll be different in manifestation, but fundamentally the same, aimed at the same end. This would be active learning, I suppose. 🤔

As per the copying of text produced by others or even copying their formula to the letter... Well, that's just stupid and wrong.

[Arundass TP]

A different poem. I felt like explanation of some theory. Great poem

[DIVYA]

Thank you dear Arun. I'm glad you appreciated this poem.

[Neha agrawal]

The voice is unapologetically raw; it dares the reader to flinch. Every line is filled with truth. “Steal with privilege” and “sprinkle your sauce,” oof. That’s poetry that bites back.

[DIVYA]

Thank you dear Neha. I'm glad you appreciated this poem.

[John the Baptist]

As if I didn't have enough to concern me, now I have to worry about metaphor theft. Seriously, this comic offering was inspired by an incident of such. The directions about how to pull off this literary heist were especially funny: "Scribbled while asleep at 3 AM." Now I'm wondering if shooting a metaphor thief would be considered justifiable homicide.

[DIVYA]

Sometimes, rants don't work where humor does. And indeed, there is something to worry about which is a sad thing for all. Thank you very much for appreciating the humor and the message in this poem, dear John.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

One of Poe's favorite words, "impunity."

[DIVYA]

Thanks for sharing that, my friend.

[Richard🖌]

Again, Our Wisely Astute Poetess 🌾
Your masterful writing entertains and enlightens our envious senses … love your wittily appropriate artwork choice, too!👌

As for your dear friend, it's sad she folded her tent and departed, because there were far better remedies available, and for us to whom this may happen.

According to Solomon, King of Israel and Judah....“One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but, the earth abideth forever.
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again, according to his circuits.
All the rivers run into the sea; yet, the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
The thing that hath been it is that which shall be: and, that which is done is that which shall be done: and, there is no new thing under the sun."

When Solomon uttered these wise metaphorical messages of insightful words, he was remiss in mentioning that everything under the sun is also always new, because every moment in its motions, its cycles, risings, settings, and returnings (though, they may essentially and repeatedly end the same) is endlessly-varying, original, and impossibly precise and exact in each moment of their repeatings.

The language of poetry is exactly the same. Though, every uttered word and phrase in human language is an unavoidably historical repeat, it is original in its exact essence, original in the endlessly varied manner in which it's expressed: emotion, imagery, metaphor, thought, feeling, meaning, etc; on and on, the art of poetry cannot be voiced or set to page without being original … unless by sheer, exact coincidence, of course. And, only by exact duplication or plagiarism (theft of another's literary property), can this truth be made invalid. Plagiarism is not only morally and ethically improper, it is a legally prosecutable offense when infringing on copyrighted property, and everyone's original writing is automatically copyrighted property, by U.S. copyright law.

Thank you immensely, Dear Divya, for so vividly and intelligently sharing your sentiments and speaking ours, and of what so many of us have been victimized from those whose worlds are so small and inglorious, they have to steal another's to make their "world of lies" come true … I would gladly have taught them.

Ever, your admiring fan! ⁓ Richard🖌

[DIVYA]

Dear Richard,
My heartfelt thanks to you for sharing your views in-depth on this matter.
read moreDear Richard,
My heartfelt thanks to you for sharing your views in-depth on this matter.
The quote of Solomon's that you've shared is glorious. I especially love –
“All the rivers run into the sea; yet, the sea is not full;
~ This is such a beautiful metaphor for the human spirit, its boundless creativity.
While nothing said or written under the sun is new, the sheer massive volumes of immortal art and literature churned out since antiquity bears testimony to the marvels of inspiration, originality and sheer hard work.
Having said that, for someone to just up and steal another person’s metaphor and post it almost ad verbatim is criminal and in this case, it happened right here and by an entrenched member of this site. The victim, a newbie retreated and closed account.
I truly appreciate how you’ve always been here to help and encourage others and am grateful for you kind and understanding words on this poem, today.
Laughed out loud that you liked the artwork 😊
Many regards to you
And wishes for all great things, in life and in poetry.

[Richard🖌]

I thank you equally, Dear Divya 🙏

The privilege of reading and commenting on your writings, has always been one of my greatest joys.

[Betty Hermelee]

To clearly put it; if you copy or steal a metaphor or poem, that is untenable, and if some one is doing it on this site they should be asked to leave… I love the way you weaved this poem to get your point across… the craftsmanship is excellent.. and the thoughts come across strong and deliberate
Thank you for sharing dear friend
Warmly
B😊🌷

[DIVYA]

There are indeed people on this very site who do this and even think they are okay in doing this. Thank you so much dear Betty. You've made it so much better by adding your kind and understanding words here. Sending you much love and wishes for a lovely day, my friend.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

As you know, Divya, this especially hits home for me since I think and write in metaphor. I know ideas cannot always be fresh, but to blatantly steal is not inspiration it is theiveary ....People always ask me about being on a poetry site and whether I worry about having poems or ideas of poems stolen. Truth is I don't ...because my take is that if someone does that and claims the idea or poem as theirs, they have to put their head on the pillow at night and sleep with a not-so-clear conscience...Whereas I know that I wrote the original poem or metaphor and it was mine.
I am so sorry that a good poet was forced to leave the site, but we seem to lose so many good young or new poets from the site for various reasons...Monitors would really help.
Thanks for writing this.
j.

[DIVYA]

Dear Jacob,
You're right that the thief has to sleep with a heavy consciece. That's a punishment in itself. Yet, there are those who cannot process this and retreat and often shut down when something they created is stolen so brazenly from them. Indedd, there should be moderators for this, but perhaps that's just wishful thinking. In this world of speed, counterfeit and little by way of morals, who even cares.
Thank you so much for your in-depth views on this poem.

[JMichael]

I love this because it just reeks of truth, especially on websites like this where particular individuals feed like zombies off the brains of newcomers or those more talented just so they can have something to post and stay relevant.

The argument that “everything has always been copied” just doesn’t cut it when original ideas, lines, metaphors are just lifted and copy pasted without any real effort put in by the thief. Some people are just shameless and lack any real originality or talent. Even worse are those that applaud such trivial works of theft and stand around backslapping like bunches of sycophants. I really feel for your friend and how they must feel to see their own work just shamefully lifted. I can’t blame them for closing down. The world is full of vultures and so it is here, too.

Great piece.

[DIVYA]

Thanks a lot JMichael. The thief got 25 reviews - perhaps three times more than their victim poet. Such is the spineless place and its denizens. That girl, I'm sure, won't return and the entitled hag who stole from here will keep basking in fake glory. I'm both livid and sorry since I heard of it. And someone has to speak out.