Elise Skidmore

We all procrastinate, some of us more than others. We do it even with things we love to do. Who knows why? Today was my day to “just do it!” I forced myself to sit down and write something—anything—even though I really didn’t feel like it.

I decided in this case, since I wasn’t feeling terribly inspired on my own, I’d go back to the April PAD prompts that I didn’t finish and pick one. I was going to sit in my chair until there were words on the page. There was a list of 8 words (tooth, paper, flat, lavish, gaudy, blacklist, vessel, & ring) and you were supposed to use at least 4 in a poem. I used all 8. Enjoy.

Gnawing at the Writer’s Block

(or it’s not crazy for writers to talk to the themselves)

There are tooth marks in my pencil.

I noticed them as I tapped the eraser

on the sheet of paper, so white and pristine,

that glares at me from its place on the table.

If it doesn’t stop its snarky condescension soon,

I’ll teach it a lesson or two,

and fill the blank space with words so flat

they’ll make pancakes jealous.

Or better yet, I’ll lavish it with prose

so purple and gaudy I’ll end up

on some secret writer’s blacklist

where I’ll be forbidden to put pen (or pencil)

to paper ever again;

I’ll become the vessel where all

the tired and overused words and phrases

come to die.

I tap the eraser again,

like a drummer practicing rolls,

(It’s a slight improvement over

my gnawing beaver impersonation.)

and wonder why the phone never rings

when you really need the distraction.

Elise Skidmore ©2016