The Writer's Curse: A Short Poem
The Writer's Curse
Why do writers keep late hours,
Working through the night,
Sometimes rising early too
Before the break of light?
The urge to jot down every thought
Is a feeling that remains,
As though it's ink instead of blood
That courses through our veins.
There is no detail in the world
That escapes a writer's eyes,
Constantly in search of truth,
Sifting through the lies.
What is it that drives our pens
And fills our hearts with fire?
Is it some supernatural force
That creates such deep desire?
Or are we victims of a curse
By some witch or demon cast,
And destined to keep writing
Until we breath our last?
What Is a Writer?
When we utter the words, "I want to be a writer," we have already formed an image of what a writer is. Often that image is more visual than verbal, and no matter what we "see" when we think of a "real" writer, the problem is that often, we don't see ourselves.
If your inner "vision of a writer" doesn't match what you see in the mirror, you automatically doubt your ability to "become" what you imagine a writer to be. This concern is often added to by successful writers whose appearance and lives bear little resemblance to our own. If we don't measure up to that image, how can our writing?
... We need to break down the stereotypes of what a writer looks like...
Most writers, however, don't fit into the stereotype of the Stephen Kings, James Patersons, or J.K. Rowlings who are often in the public eye. In fact, many many writers have no public persona and we have no inkling what they are like in real life. Some even hide behind pen names so the public doesn't know who they are.
So, the next time you find yourself wondering what a "real" writer looks like, don't pick up a writing magazine. Instead, go look in the mirror. Then, finish that piece and put it in the mail.
The Troubled Writer
It may be an overused stereotype "the troubled writer," but below is a list of ten famous authors who either committed or attempted suicide.
- Jack London.
- Kurt Vonnegut.
- Hunter S. Thompson.
- Sylvia Plath.
- John Kennedy Toole.
- Edgar Allan Poe.
- Virginia Woolf.
- Raymond Chandler.
Most of these and many others have at some stage tried to ease their troubles through either drugs or alcohol. The following short poem may express what some writers feel the next morning.
The Morning After!
Waking up in the early morn,
As the sun comes up at dawn,
Lying prostrate on the lawn.
I dread the technicolour yawn,
Always contain carrots and corn.
Like caught watching online porn,
I don't want to face the scorn.
Or a sheep, that's just been shorn,
My pen and paper's feeling worn.
Oh what words will be my spawn?
© 2016 John Hansen
