Or Any Other Kind Of Pen: a Romance
One word lingers over a blank page
ephemeral, almost transparent, fading
as it wafts away uncaptured.
A second word strays in its wake
vanishes beyond thought, distracted
by a fascination.
There is a mild stir.
A sentence appears.
For how long? And what was the crime?
Dragging itself out into the open,
dangling voice and story in front of a jury?
Off the page with you!
Don’t even think of it!
Out!
But: mightier than the sword, a pen
strides into view, leaps to hand, brandishes
ballpoint, strikes a blow for freedom and
in one frenzied dash crashes across paper
leaving a stream of consciousness
full of mixed metaphors
and darlings needing
to be murdered.
Words tremble as the world they’ve created
comes to a full stop.
— Jennie Fraine
