A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace. CONFUCIUS

Wednesday 12 November 2014

Selfie


Taking a selfie’s a breeze.
Just look at your phone and say cheese.
You smile, then you click.
Every Tom, every Dick,
Every Harry can do this with ease.

But the skill’s in the whole composition
If you want a snap with more ambition.
Think panning, perspective —
It’s a whole new directive —
Think parallax, pose and position.

Yet if you dilly-dally too long
The spontaneous moment has gone.
That’s why none of us
Are Diane Arbus
Or Henri Cartier-Bresson.

But I’m no photography snob.
Point and shoot is for me just the job.
It’s so democratic,
Instant, automatic —
Even though my face turns out a blob.

Yes, taking a selfie’s a doddle.
We all have an ego to coddle.
So give us a break
For vanity’s sake —
Can’t you see I’m a glamorous model?

12 comments:

Ruth said...

:D Love your whimsy. And it's a fine selfie.

The question of the early 21st century: What is the difference between a selfie and a self portrait?

The Solitary Walker said...

Same as the difference between artless and artful?

The Weaver of Grass said...

Wish you had smiled though.

Nick said...

You're very harsh on yourself; it's not a bad picture at all - really. Smile!
(Well, you made me smile anyway.)

am said...

There is a smile there (-:

I like your poem and your new icon photo.

The Solitary Walker said...

Thanks, everyone! :) :) I knew that smile was there somewhere :)

Amanda Summer said...

Great shot. You look like Sting (although you have more hair that he does :))

Marit said...

Hello! I liked this selfie-poem. Could I put it on my facebook-side?

Marit Lykken Helgetveit
Norway

The Solitary Walker said...

Thanks, Amanda. You flatter me!

The Solitary Walker said...

Hi Marit — and welcome. Yes, of course you can use it — perhaps linking it to my blog in some way would be good? Thanks for your visit.

Jan said...

An old friend and I took several selfies last weekend. A fun experience and slightly painful too. Thank heavens for the delete button. Great composition by the way.

The Solitary Walker said...

Thanks, Jan!