Successful Writer Blog

Lao Tzu

‘Those who speak know nothing;

Those who know are silent.’

Those words, I am told,

Were spoken by Lao-tzu

If we are to believe that Lao-tzu

                Was himself one who knew,

How comes it that he wrote a book

Of five thousand words?

This poem was not written in the 20^th century but in the 9^th century, by Po Chu-I one of the clerks of the Chinese regime. Unlike our officials today who are loyal to the state, among his poems one can find an anti-war satire, when he talks about his work he writes lines like, “I begin to think that those who hold office/get no rest except by falling ill!” which are lines every hi-tech worker can Identify with.

What I find most astonishing is the fact that the old Chinese writers had lots of sense of humor. For instance, in a poem about a man who was so lazy he had wine in his hand but was too lazy to drink it, but at the same time could ask philosophical questions and let their poetry take part in all the aspects of their life. The poems Po wrote in his old age are heart-felt, and I can really identify with the opening words to this anthology that is simply called Chinese Poems  which was collected and translated by Arthur Waley:

“A taste for Chinese poetry is not too hard to acquire. It is as easy to enjoy as chop suey and has in fact something of the same quality being many favorite and subtle, yet full of honest nourishment.”

My tip for you is to ever expand your boundaries in reading which will expand the limits of your writing. The deeper your roots the higher you’ll reach. So don’t be afraid of the unknown.

I’m taking an Independence Day vacation.