- Image via Wikipedia
A good book is like a good person.
Simple, honest and kind.
And I cannot pick it up without a pen in my hand.
Writing is part of me.
It is how I learn, how I communicate.
Part of being a writer is
Not about
Boasting success
And triumphant nothings.
It is about
Seeking the important things and writing them down.
It is about
Being an observer of the world
However big or small.
It is about
The things that may go unnoticed.
It is the search for the truth that motivates the mind.
To search and search some more.
Truths that turn into topics as deep as
Being a man, woman or child;
Identity
Or as simple as what the weather brings
Revealed in every day actions that speak
Documenting the forces of nature.
Such as when there are no cars around
And am about to cross the road
And one suddenly appears!
It’s about
Noticing the details and writing them down.
As I develop perspective.
Discoveries shared with others
Contribute to my learning and I to theirs.
It is what being a writer is about.
By Maria Mangos
Copyright © Maria Mangos and Traveliterature.wordpress.com, from February 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Maria Mangos and Traveliterature.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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What a great poem! I love your reference to the things that go unnoticed. I was just reading an essay about essay writing by Patrick Madden. He said a writer never runs out of things to write about because he/she will notice something others don’t, and build words around it to both highlight its beauty and make a larger point. I’ll confess to making an effort as a writer to be more observant. You present Madden’s thesis laid out in a long essay in a concise, moving poem!
Thanks for your feedback Patrick! Admittedly it took me a few minutes to write the poem- and I wrote it quickly but took a lot out of me inside- I took advantage of the moment -I wrote it from my heart and what I believe. It is true that a writer will never run out of things to write because of the small things he/she will notice that others don’t. This could make one feel alienated if it wasn’t for the pen and paper. Therefore a writer has the need to write it down and won’t rest until he/she has done so. I have always written my thoughts down but just recently have been confident sharing. I will have to read Patrick Madden’s essay… Is there a link to it?
It was in his published essay collection, Quotidiana. He has a blog tied to that book, though: http://essays.quotidiana.org/