How To Become A Writer

At night
Throw yourself away

At dawn
Remake yourself fresh

Fluid gender
Fluid sex

Be nowhere but
Let your eyes and ears wander                        everywhere

Be novel
Be the .5 kid

Write in ash
Turn voices of the past
Into a group of one

Bleach your heart
Dress your hands in dirt
Soak your mind in tears
Dry it in the yellow warmth

Walk half a marathon in another’s shoes
Walk the other half barefoot

For months at a time
Exercise only your fingers
Be only your fingers

Become a shadow amongst the shadows
Then emerge with a cloud of words

Rain them upon your listeners
Until they say, “You’re as essential as the weather.”

 

(Published first by the Eunoia Review here.)

14 comments on “How To Become A Writer

  1. You’re getting downright brilliant these days, Ben. Poem after poem is superb, extraordinary. See, my encouragement is working! 😀

  2. tara caribou says:

    This is brilliant and allll true

  3. Nadine says:

    This is absolutely incredible! I feel like I keep saying that, or similar, on your posts, but the feeling is truly meant!

    “At dawn
    Remake yourself fresh

    Fluid gender
    Fluid sex”

    That’s where the wows begin… but there are so many more great phrases here, to become remade in.

  4. Judy Kim says:

    Wow and wonderful! I like your images, very powerful lines!

  5. bejamin4 says:

    Oh, thank you for saying so!

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