Under The Rough Exterior

Separate collections of stardust,

Together in one place, we fell,

Each with our own chips and scratches.

Each with our stories to tell.

*

We watch for new stories to surface,

While we nurture and pamper our own

Molding and shaping the young ones

Until we release them, full grown.

*

All the while, there's the presence of others,

Tumbling with us in this crazy mix,

And some stardust becomes grit that mingles,

Slowly smoothing the gouges and nicks.

*

So, we give and we take, and the surface

Slowly clears and the treasures shine through.

And we're shaped, just a little, in passing,

But I'm still me and you are still you.

*

Now we all shine a little bit brighter

As our stories all come out to play,

So I thank you, my fellow creators,

For passing some stardust my way.

***

The Smooth Challenge immediately made me think of the rock hounding and lapidary hobbies I've enjoyed since I was a kid, and the way that grinding and polishing can reveal the treasures hidden under the surface of rough stones. So, I was going to write this story about rocks.

Then it occurred to me how much the simple process of tumbling reminds me of the best part of the Vocal community. The success of the process is dependent on the interaction of the pieces in the mix and the results are often beautiful.

So, I wrote a cheesy little poem about that, and here's what came out. Thank you for the constant support and inspiration, you marvelous collections of stardust!

The challenge:

By the way, if you'd like to read more of what this community has inspired from me, you'll find a lot more on my profile page: