The Very First Cent Earned by A Poet

The most undervalued milestone, and yet, a keystone proof of concept

At the start, there was nothing Unseen, unread, unknown Nothing to prove its existence but a fleeting shadow on a key

Extract from “The thought came to life"

The first cent

Do you remember the very first cent that you have ever earned in your life? Was it as a kid who did a household task? An adolescent at a summer job or a young adult at a part-time? An intern at a stage? A professional at his or her first “real” job?

At this point in life, I can’t say that I remember mine, after so many years and jobs. In fact, I don’t think I have ever earned such a small unit of money as 1 cent.

But it all changed when I became a poet.

A true NFT artwork

The very first cent I earned as a poet. If I could, I would have framed it. A true non-fungible token (NFT) artwork.

In terms of real money, it had so little value. In fact, it was very similar to the Canadian 1 cent. Don’t look for it, you can’t find it anymore because it was too expensive to produce. The material from which those cents were created had more value than the monetary value of the cent per se.

The first cent I ever earned as a poet was the same. Its existence was ephemeral and its value was less than the program needed to generate it.

Nevertheless, this first cent might be the most undervalued milestone of a poet's life, and yet, it is a keystone proof of concept.

Beyond its intrinsic value

There is very little doubt that I probably will never make a living solely as a poet. Nevertheless, my aim as a writer is much higher. Still, earning money as a poet surpassed my wildest dreams. Being read as a poet, being seen and recognized as such, being rewarded for it. I couldn’t have imagined it until that first cent came into my life.

I’m not sure what qualifies in the real world as a professional poet. Making a living out of it? Being published? Winning contests? But to me, that one cent was the symbol of my art being given value beyond and above its intrinsic value.

The taste of victory

I didn’t share this victory with my parents, siblings, or friends. I didn’t talk about this life landmark to my boss or co-workers. I don’t even have yet a close writing circle to celebrate with. Nevertheless, I decided to share here, because this is where it all started. Writing is a lonely act, but at the same time, it can connect beyond any border.

I don’t drink alcohol, so I pulled out a can of soft drink to celebrate. I lifted the tab ring, cracking open the can. The pop it released was at the image of my newly found freedom. In that moment of self-awareness, I noticed with a smile that I’ll earn more money by recycling this can than I had by publishing my poem. As the refreshing liquid came pouring into my throat, victory tasted so sweet.

Afterthoughts: And you, do you remember that very first cent? How did you celebrate and enjoy it? How did it change your life?

On your way to success, don’t forget to celebrate the small victories as this is one of the secrets to making the way to the top enjoyable :) Happy writing!