Do you write five poems a day ?

Someone asked me the other day.

Do you write five poems a day ?

That perfect day flashed before my eyes. Trash has emptied itself… Meals cooked themselves… Children have grown large receptive ears… I could almost see my washing machine climb the stairs on its mission to hang the washed clothes. I sit by a bright window, framed by a beautiful sunny landscape, chirping birds flitting on my windowsill. Words just flow from my pen in volumes, filling up the pile of crisp papers on my cosy tabletop. Wow ! What a blissful scenario !

Well, it seldom happens this way.

More often than not, I am rushing to catch a train, sitting through a boring presentation, standing in the hot shower, or slicing potatoes for a meal, when a notion is conceived and gets lodged in the soul. It could have been triggered by the shimmer of melting snow dripping from the trees that I walked under, by a word that I chanced upon in a conversation, or by the pain I saw in a bearded stranger’s eyes. Whatever it is, there is only one path ahead. It is pointless (at least in my case) to hurry and write it down at this point, for it is as tiresome as a woman in labour trying to push the baby out, even before the onset of her final contractions.

So, I just let it be. Slowly as time progresses, the notion starts to whip up emotions within me until my whole self is ablaze. The ecstasy, anger, agony or despair that builds up, consumes me to an extent that I simply must vent it out. It is at this point, when I have my seams bursting, that I write. Words flow unbroken and effortless culminating in sheer euphoria; my soul, a sea after the storm. My baby is born. This and only this, is the primary reason why I write.

Of course, no word was ever written, that doesn’t crave itself to be read. I am no different. After the bliss of creation and seeing your soul roll out into words in front you, the next step is dressing up the baby and presenting it to the world. So, I do minor tweaks, such as, search for a better word to use or do a more proper line break scheme. Then, I sit back with hope, and watch my baby take the first steps gingerly, out into the big wide world.

The third and the most painful stage is, if and when your words fail to strike a chord with your readers. More so, because it is nothing but your raw soul, that is at display.

Still writers write. Why? Because, they won’t have it any other way. Once you have experienced the jubilation of creation, it’s very hard not to. I have been part of three poetry anthologies till date and am also part of numerous online writers’ groups. I have met so many learned people in these forums – PhDs, medical doctors, professors – writing poetry, even if it provides them with no material gain. I have met people grieving the loss of a loved one, those battling serious illnesses, those who have survived personal tragedies.

Why do they write?

I can think of only one reason. Writing is cathartic. It cleanses your mind and sews up your tattered soul, making you ready to meet life head-on, yet another day !

And incidently, this marks my 100th post on Foreverfree 😇

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Inspiration courtesy: A post by a friend, Radhika Gopakumar on her blog insanereverie.in
Read the post here > http://insanereverie.in/when-words-get-stolen/

 

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