NOT FOR FAME AND FORTUNE
HE HIDES HIS GIFT FROM SIGHT
NOT BELIEVING IN THE TRUTH
BUT STILL HE’S FORCED TO WRITE
A TIDBIT OF AN INSIGHT HERE
OR AN INSPIRATION THERE
A FUNNY THOUGHT, AN INNER FEAR
A DREAM OF LOVE OR A SIMPLE JOY
GATHERED TOGETHER OVER TIME
STORED IN THE DARKNESS
JUST WAITING
THEY RUMINATE AND RUMBLE
THEY BOUNCE AROUND AND TUMBLE
DEEP IN THE HEART AND MIND
OF THE RELUCTANT POET
THEN SOMETIMES FROM A WHISPER
OR A FADING DREAM AT NIGHT
AN UNFORGOTTEN MEMORY LINGERS
AND FORCES HIM TO WRITE
HE LISTENS IN THE DARKNESS
THEN FEELS IT IN HIS HEART
HE SEES IT IN HIS MIND’S EYE
AND AGAIN HE’S GOT A START
THEN IT’S A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE
OR FISHING IN A STREAM
ELUSIVE WORDS AND PHRASES
NOT WANTING TO BE FOUND
HE KEEPS LOOKING AND HE LISTENS
AS HE SLOWLY HUNTS THEM DOWN
HE WAITS WITHIN THE DARKNESS
JUST BEFORE THE LIGHT
TO CAPTURE JUST THE RIGHT WORDS
SO HE’LL HAVE SOMETHING HE CAN WRITE
SILENTLY HE SITS
WITH THE TICKING OF THE CLOCK
HE TRIES TO KEEP THINGS MOVING
SO HE DOESN’T HIT A BLOCK
A SIMPLE RHYTHM, A LITTLE RHYME
AND A CADENCE COMING THROUGH
A SINGLE WORD, A SIMPLE SOUND
AND A PHRASE HE HOPES IS NEW
LITTLE BITS AND PIECES
A JIGSAW PUZZLE WITH WORDS
SEARCHING FOR A FIT
SLOWLY COMING TOGETHER
OR SWIFT AND SUDDEN – THAT’S IT!
THE WORDS PAINT A PICTURE WITH FEELINGS
THE WORDS SING A SONG HE CAN HEAR
HE LOOKS AND HE LISTENS, AND FEELS THEM
THEY JUST COME
SOME CAN LISTEN
AND HEAR THEM
SOME SEE
WHAT OTHERS CANNOT
AND YOU FEEL
WHAT THEY FEEL
AND YOU SEE
WHAT THEY SEE
WITH THE WORDS
AND THE PHRASES
THEY’VE CAUGHT
IT’S NOT A SAFARI
FOR TROPHIES
TO MOUNT
AND HANG ON A WALL
IT’S THE JOY
IN THE SOUL
HE CAN’T
CONTROL
AT THE SOUND
OF A NEWBORN’S CRY
THE BIRTH OF A POEM
HE STRUGGLED
AND SEARCHED
AND HE FOUND IT
IN MEMORIES
AND WHISPERS
AND DREAMS
HE GAVE IT A LIFE
WHEN HE WROTE IT DOWN
FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE
IT’S NOT FOR FAME AND FORTUNE
THAT COMES FROM BEING KNOWN
THE RELUCTANT POET WRITES
TO GIVE WORDS A LIFE OF THEIR OWN
by Charles Robert Lindholm
© 2016 Charles Robert Lindholm
The Reluctant Poet 