Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Poem for 8/25/21

 

The Life of a Writer

(Click the title to learn more about this poem and the poet)

Jalynn Harris

the life of a writer is desire 
              i hammer into the page 
                          i make up my mind: the streetlight 

is not the moon, but anything can be
              made beautiful under the ease 
                          of my hammer 

i wish you could see that i write in blue ink
              the color of oceans & early mornings 
                          & everything is clear like 

tears rushing towards the chin 
              of my desire. i pen what i’m meant
                          to pen. how deep in love i am 

& how silly of me to spend all morning dreaming 
              about love & not expect my 
                          desire to set me free 

the knives of my fingers tap
              out the notion that if i turn the key 
                          it will unlock.

admittedly, i am foolish 
              about love—a simple yes excites me—
                        ‘cause i know that all that i require will be met

like water meets the tongue. it’s scary
            desire, a small fan at my window in the summer, 
                        a booklight lighting the pages of my life

Copyright © 2021 by Jalynn Harris. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on August 19, 2021, by the Academy of American Poets.

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