Ever had a poem or story at the tip of your tongue (or fingers at least) and you just can’t write it? Welcome to me right now. I have to full idea for a long piece and I know where I want it to begin and end and most of the in between but for some reason I just can’t find the right words to start it or words I want to stick with. I decided to write a poem instead. Productive procrastination at its worst. The topic of choice? The literal annoyance of not being able to write the thing that you can hear in your head into words for other people’s heads! (That’s what I love about writing, I can make you see the things in my head like some strange, drawn out, telepathic… I’m in that rabbit hole of writing… enjoy!)
I have a beat caught in my head.
It can’t escape.
I have a beat and it’s there but it can’t escape.
I hear it like the tick tick tick of a clock when all I want is it to
stop.
But that damned tock is driving my thoughts.
I’ve tried to chase it or put in the brakes but
it can’t escape.
The beat just keeps drumming,
like an incessant humming.
I cannot write it,
or fight it,
or ignite it into something more than a constant tick tick tock.
I try different networks,
for all that it’s worth,
but it continues to tick,
until something will click,
but nothing will click,
why would it click?
why should it click?
And I’m starting to question,
at least in this instance,
my very existance,
as it stays persistent,
my mind being resistant,
the unhelpful assistant,
(at least it’s consistent)
my sanity distant.
Until I can rid this
tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
tock.
Jennifer Pickering 