To Write a Poem

A Poem by Cadence Bommarito

To write a poem

The feeling

Of being emptied of every word

Or is it inspiration clotted in all the empty corners

Of my mind

It’s a telltale sign

That blackness

And dark,

Dark emptiness

Lies awake staring at the ceiling

Making pictures out of gathered plaster

I’ll still try to write them though

(try to make something of words)

Because it’s half my personality

But in order to write this poem

I speak of

I must sit

And write it

(I guess I could stand and write it)

Think. Think. Think.

Or just mindlessly word vomit.

The metacognitive style of writing

(like this one)

Always sounds the same to me

But as I write,

I realize I’m just going to pawn off

This syntax as if it’s a new thought

Instead I know that I’ve had this thought before

And I’m sure other poets have too

But I’m writing it new

So what else is there to do?

Besides sit (or stand) and write a poem