poem: ben harkness
revolution
Let's start simple
I'll start simple - simply
I'll sit at my desk and stare for a moment
And while I'm staring I'll steel myself
As I grab my sketch book I'll acknowledge that I have no idea what I'm about to put down
And that's ok.
And as I grab my pencil I will prod myself to push through this
To fight the good fight
Because the resistance must be put down
And the lines that I am making are unsteady
They are self-absorbed self-conscious
And I will erase them
But not yet
Not until I've crushed them
Not until they scream the inspiration I'm squeezing them for
They work for me now
Their lives are in my hands and I am a demanding supervisor
These lines, as inadequate as they be, don't get to leave
At least not until they've screamed
Because the resistance must be put down
about the poet: ben harkness
Ben Harkness is a bicycle mechanic, husband, and father of three. In his spare time he pursues all things art. You can listen to his podcast Social Saliva wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow him on Instagram @benharkness and @socialsaliva
