I fell in love with you a little when I read it. Pixels or paper, it wouldn’t have mattered. Though there is something to be said for the slip smooth, the crinkle, of paper. But the pixels reach me so much faster, a bullet hitting its mark.
Slide your glossy razor fingernail down my breastbone, peel back a layer. And another.
Focus your laser insight into my eyes. Blind me with your gifts. I won’t have to see my own overly-dramatic adolescent ramblings.
You can never make a great writer out of a good writer, a great writer once said. Mr. King, what a wound. Not so wide as a church door, but ’tis enough, ’twill serve.
So I will wash my mouth out with adverbs. I will slice away planks of purple prose and drop them into the pot with what I thought were wild parsnips. On high. Until boiling. Drink. Sleep.
Incoherent. Disjointed. What is this, anyway? It doesn’t make sense. It does, too. A flashing sign overhead, “EDIT ME.” Spellcheck. Wait, I need to look up “lie” and “lay” again. It’s the mechanics of cameras all over again.
I’m tired, but inspired. And it starts over every. single. day.
You don’t care. And I’m fine with it. I will keep working at going from competent to good while you spill great all over the place. I’ll wipe it up. I’ll like it. And I’m not even mad about it.
Actually, you do care. And that’s what makes it all worth something.
Abstract works better in acrylics. Eyes roll. “Wow, she’s trying way too hard.”
“Fishing.”
“Yeah.”
One foot in front of the other. Writing mix on the playlist. Focus. Steady as she goes. O CAPTAIN! my captain!
Be grateful it’s out there, all of that beauty. Stop worrying. Don’t show any lack of confidence, it’s deadly you know.
Is it?
Well, if that were true, I’d have died at twelve.
“Who are you talking to?”
“Does it matter?”
I can if I say I can. From competent to good is better than “never tried.”
H.L. Brooks 