How to Be a Writer

How to Be a Writer

A Poem by Ally Ann
"

Destroying yourself for the words inside you

"
A friend asked me 
how to be a writer.
I wanted to say,
lock yourself in a room,
scream until you have 
a poem and no voice.
Open your veins and bleed 
until you know that your bones
are pure words and sorrow. 
Act as if you slit your own throat
and all you can bleed
are your own regrets 
and all of the darkness
you boxed up for inspiration. 
Write your mom a letter,
tell her you're leaving
and you won't be back for awhile
Because being a writer is traveling 
through all seven layers of Hell
and denying anything is wrong.
Forget loving yourself 
when all you have is a pen and paper
fused to your wrist
and Jesus is tapping at your skull
saying turn back now.
Warn the neighbors that if they smell burning
It's just your soul 
clawing at the front door trying to get in. 
Learn how to be alone. 
Learn how to lose everything you have
in order to feel release,
learn how to only feel deceased 
from now on.
A friend asked me
how to be a writer.
All I said was
don't

© 2018 Ally Ann


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Reviews

"A friend asked me
how to be a writer.
All I said was
don't"
WOw, true pain but authenticity. Thank you for sharing this. I know what you mean, you definitely seem to feel each step in this journey. The last line did make me chuckle.

Posted 1 Year Ago


Wow! I felt the emotions dripping in this piece! The ending was wow! Well done!

Posted 2 Years Ago


I like this. It's insightful and real. It made me think.

Posted 2 Years Ago


Truth sister. Preach it. You should read my poem "What they don't tell you about writing" or something like that, can't fully remember the name. The poem is good and the poem is truthful.

Posted 5 Years Ago


Nice piece of writing. Well Done.

Posted 5 Years Ago


wow, again, thanks for entry into my gobsmack competition, good luck to you, am judging this belatedly today,thanks again for a wonderful piece of work

Posted 5 Years Ago


There are lots of great images in here Ally. I often think about the writing process and it can be a painful and solitary undertaking at times. I like to use personal experiences if i can and these can be very emotional. Your ending is great but I'm not sure i agree. Writing isn't for everyone but it can be a liberating process. Everyone has something they can write about.
I did enjoy this!
Regards
Alan

Posted 5 Years Ago


The descriptions you gave throughout the poem were highly engaging and creative and kept the poem moving along at a fast pace.
Oh yea, and the final line kind of had a Bukowski feel to it in his poem "Friendly advice to a lot of young men"

Posted 5 Years Ago


The hell of it is, you can't help yourself.

Having a book, or a poem, or a song--any written thing--inside of you is a building thing.
A friend once described it to me thus:(and yes, I did say 'thus'...:It's like being pregnant. The idea is an embryo, and it grows and develops., taking on a full life of its own. You begin to feel a pressure, a desire--no, a NEED--to bring it forth. It becomes your entire life, the reason for your existence--until you labor and push, and suffer as it grows and matures. Now it becomes, he went on, a bird. A bird inside the cage of your head, banging itself against the inside of your skull until you let it free to soar and be appreciated and loved, or catch fire in the atmosphere and go down in flames.
But "don't"? Just don't?
Impossible. When it's ready, it's comin' out. You can't help it.

Posted 6 Years Ago


Ally Ann

5 Years Ago

The "don't" refers to the fact that if you can avoid going through all of the above, try your best t.. read more
Hence the name Perdition, and yes I did just use the word "hence". Have to admit I like Bukowski's explanation a little better but this is pretty damn close. Writing is hell and your only reward is the aggravation of being unsatisfied with your work and having to start the process every day all over again, so if you can take that then go for it, I think I have most of those items checked off but I'm sure I'm missing one or two and the muse is not a kind creature so I'll look again. Wonderful definition, advice and checklist. Thanks for the read~

Posted 6 Years Ago


Ally Ann

5 Years Ago

Even to be compared to Bukowski is an honor, so thank you. He was my biggest inspiration while writi.. read more
Perdition

5 Years Ago

A pleasure...and yep...still missing the fire of having ole Chuck around,

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Added on July 1, 2018
Last Updated on July 1, 2018
Tags: poetry, poem, short poem, prose, writing, writer, writing process, hurt, feelings, emotions

Author

Ally Ann
Ally Ann

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Lately I have been feeling very lost, and it is comforting to come here and rediscover pieces of who I was and who I still must be "The world is trying to kill you. It is trying to do this by steal.. more..

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