Write

Bright screen glares at me

While prompt flashes annoyance;

Simulated white page is blank,

Like the edges of my mind.

 

Words do not come, do not flow;

Sentence making fails me.

Just one word is all I need

To begin the story.

 

Characters have no voices,

These poor mutes have no life.

They wait like spiders

In the corners of my mind.

 

No silk to weave a web,

These blank characters wait

For a word to begin

A word to begin their story.

 

Advice givers say:

“Start at the end”

“Start at the beginning”

“Start with one word”

  

My champions say:

“you can do it”

“you are a great writer”

“I have faith in you”

 

With advice givers and champions

Inside my head,

Tuning out all else,

I sit. I stare. I put fingers to keyboard.

 

The simulated white page remains blank.

The cursor flashing angry now.

I cannot find the word.

I do not have faith.

 

Then suddenly it appears

Like a flash of lightening

Seen out of the corner of my eye

A word.

 

Write

 

So I type the word

It is not the web of a story

It is not the voices of my mutes

It is my voice. My story.

 

Reviews

[Ezekiel Silver]

Splendid poem. I like how you wrap an entire tale in this poem, I don't see that too often. Great work!