Successfully Unsuccessful

Does a bird measure the success of its flight, or simply fly? After a moderately successful day at the market, I carried that question home. Sometime during the night, it became a poem.






Successfully Unsuccessful


Am I unsuccessfully successful
or
Successfully unsuccessful?

What is successful?
Why be successful?
Who defines success?

Is being successful?
simply being successful
at being unsuccessful?
or
being a failure at being unsuccessful?

Is Corporate greed being successful?
or
self-righteousness being unsuccessful?

What is successful?
Who defines success?




As the magpie continues its flight…
The poem ends here. The questions do not.




Ivor Steven © October 2026

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ivor20

G'day, and welcome to my blog site. My name is Ivor Steven, I live in Geelong, Australia. I'm an ex-industrial chemist, and a retired plumber, and a former Carer of my wife(Carole), for 30 years, who suffered from severe MS. I Write poetry about those personal thoughts, throughout and beyond my life as a Carer. I've been blogging for over 2 years, and writing poems for 19 years. Of course a lot of my poems are about my favourite subject Carole, but since I've been blogging my writings have become quite varied, humourous, mystical, observational, and even a few monster/horror poems.

24 thoughts on “Successfully Unsuccessful”

  3. Each individual has to define what success is for themselves. Those who don’t, allow others to define what success is for them.

    For example a college degree is not a guarantee one will be successful, nor is a lack of one an indication that one will not be a success.

    The true measure of success is achieving whatever goal one sets for themselves.

    If a bird kept questioning his ability to fly he would never get off the ground.

    I see you as a success because after retirement you reinvented yourself as a poet.

    Choosing a new purpose to give your life meaning…

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  6. An interesting poem, Ivor, which poses good questions. I think like most things in life, success is seen through the eyes of the viewer. Sometimes people’s ideas about success change as they get older. Sometimes it’s too late if you’ve pursued the wrong form of success.

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  11. Important deep questions! Deeply important questions!
    Excellent, Ivor!
    As for the birds…I think they know their purpose is to live their life the best they can…and that means keep flying. 🙂
    I’ve always believed there are the-most-important ways of being successful that have nothing to do with fame, power, or money. 🙂
    (((HUGS))) and ❤️❤️ for you and Frankie!!

    Liked by 1 person

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