STORY
One day there’ll be a story
Of the life that I have lived
I’ll be the one who makes it
You’ll decide if it’s a gift
For I have passion for what’s possible
And dreams that take me there
Where mountain tops evaporate
In destiny’s thin air
I’ll be the story maker
You choose the words for me
My heart will beat forever
If your voice sets mine free
For I have passion for what’s possible
And dreams that take me there
Where mountain tops evaporate
In destiny’s thin air
The story that you tell one day
Will be the one I lived
My life in words you gave me
My story’s in your gift
For I have passion for what’s possible
And dreams that take me there
Where mountain tops evaporate
In destiny’s thin air
Tim Coburn
April, 2002
Copyright © Tim Coburn
All Rights Reserved
MY STORY'S IN YOUR GIFT
Notes
We all start somewhere and this was mine. In a productive meeting with a therapist, I talked about a long-term wish to write a poem or a song. That same afternoon, on a bike ride around Windermere, the first verse of this poem gradually came to light. The rest soon followed. It’s a simple, aspirational song that hopes for a fulfilling life-story. While many popular self-improvement books imply that we can be the masters of our own destinies, very few explore the social, collaborative and co-dependent reality of human fulfilment. My Story’s in Your Gift combines the protagonist’s agency (‘I have passion for what’s possible, And dreams that take me there’) with the social, co-dependent creation of a life well-lived (‘I’ll be the one who makes it, You’ll decide if it’s a gift’). It was my first poem and looking back, I’m grateful the therapy conversations nudged me into writing poetry.
FIND YOUR VOICE
Writing a poem is an adventure into new territory. Poetic form has a different phraseology to conversational prose – it changes the boundaries of how we usually speak. For expressive clarity, poetry uses more imagery, metaphor and story. Words and meaning are more deliberately considered. As well as making sense in written words, poetry conveys its meaning in sound and how it makes us feel. To make a poem work, our vocabulary is stretched, our word hoard expanded and our vocal identity enriched.
The development of vocal identity extends to every aspect of your life – your voice is the medium by which you get things done. With communication and conversational skills so central to who we are as human beings, I have always been interested in the effect writing poetry has on the clarity, confidence and effectiveness with which we talk. I addition to sharing poetry and my reflections on it, I offer short talk and workshops for leaders, team members and technical specialists who want to improve the quality and impact of their voice.
If this appeals to you, please get in touch.
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