Untitled (Flow)
By AC
I close my eyes;
Inhale, exhale,
Take a fraction of a second to grasp
And truly comprehend
The task I have at hand.
I pick up my pen
And one by one,
I pull the thoughts out of my brain
Like pulling threads out of a cloth,
A veil.
Everything around me disappears,
I hear sounds but they’re not clear.
It seems as if everything slows down
And yet the hours pass me by.
I feel that I’m creating
A way to put my silly thoughts on to a paper
In the hopes that some of them are helpful
To the reader, a passerby
Who decides to give me the gift of time
And spend a few minutes reading my creation.
Thank you, good Samaritan,
You’re very kind.
21 Comments
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The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
Dear AC,
This made me smile. I am reading these poems for the first time today and I feel a lot of love and compassion to all of you writers. I am so grateful that this simple act brings you calmness and mindfulness. In our chaotic world that’s hard to find. Thank you for writing this and being you. Wishing you warmth and light.
-Arina
You are welcome and Thank you for writing such a poem that acknowledges the beauty of time. Whether Time goes fast, slow or seems to stand still, it is still a living thing this time. I love the world disappears when you spend your time writing. Please don’t stop. This was really good.
AC,
I think that writing poetry to express yourself is a beautiful thing, and I am honored to have read your poem. The creative process is something that I have always respected because it differs greatly for everyone. Some people enjoy writing, some drawing, others molding something out of clay, but whatever it is that someone finds to be helpful in expressing themselves it should be acknowledged as a form of vulnerability. Thank you for sharing yourself through your words, and I want to tell you that your thoughts aren’t silly, you are helping people and you are helping yourself process everything that has happened in your life, there’s nothing silly about that.
AC,
Thank you for sharing this poem. It was really illuminating to learn about your writing process and it sounds like your work is coming from a very deep and personal space. And you are so greatful to be able to share your work. I really encourage you to keep writing because i can tell you have a lot of deep feelings that need to be shared with the world.
Hey AC,
I loved this and I am glad I got to read your creation. I’m a writer too and I love the space I get in when I start writing. But I have a hard time sharing my writing, but your poem made me think that maybe I should look at my writing in a new light and share it like you did with your writing. Thanks for inspiring me!
Dear AC,
Thank YOU for taking the time to create this beautiful piece of poetry. I can see how hard you worked on this poem. Your use of imagery with the veil is amazing! You truly take the reader through your journey of creating. I hope you continue to write and I can read more in the future.
All the best,
Molly
Thank you for sharing your work! Your thoughts could never be silly. Continue opening up and writing whatever comes to mind, you’d be amazed at the beauty you could create.
I love this poem! I have a similar experience when I’m drawing. I just zone in and get to work while everything else is just background noise. You expressed this in a way so perfectly, by illustrating how to be in your own little world while writing poetry. As long as you keep making poetry, there will be those to listen and hear your story. Thank you for sharing AC!
AC
I just wanted to say I enjoyed this piece and I can see the thought process behind it. Thank you for allowing us to read this. Keep on creating.
This is an amazing poem. I love how you wrote about writing a poem – that is such a clever idea. The third paragraph really spoke to me; I completely agree that when writing poetry, everything in the surroundings seems to disappear. I really enjoyed “reading your creation” and I enjoyed your “silly thoughts on paper”!
I loved this. I read it multiple times, I have these same thoughts, when doing what I love as well. All of the bad disappears, and there is beauty to that. I hope you get to keep creating.
YOU are very kind for sharing. The analogy of pulling out words is wonderful. It takes bravery and courage to open up and share. You are special, you are worthy; please continue to share your wonderful words. Thank you.
The imagery in your poem is incredible. I love how you describe your writing process. The way you talk about your writing in the last stanza is exactly how I feel whenever I send pieces out into the world. Thank you for capturing the feeling of writing so vividly.
This piece is a wonderful illustration of the power of writing. I found it relatable how you imply that writing takes effort. I also liked how you feel you’re in your own world when writing, as I, too, often zone out while writing. The part about silly thoughts and creativity really makes me want to try writing creatively more often, as I usually only write academically or in a journal. Thank you for sharing; you captured the act of writing beautifully!
Dear AC,
Thank you for sharing this poem– I particularly liked the line where you describe pulling thoughts from your brain like threads of cloth. This was such a nice way to describe the clarity that comes from writing to remove the things that distort thinking and pay attention to what’s underneath. The overall feeling I got from this poem was one of calm and clarity because of how simply but beautifully you described the writing process. Reading this inspired me to sit calmly with my own thoughts and try to develop a clarity of my own. Thanks for inspiring me to find a moment of peace by writing this.
Best,
JM
AC, I really enjoyed the section in your poem where you wrote, “I close my eyes; Inhale, exhale, Take a fraction of a second to grasp And truly comprehend The task I have at hand.” The Inhale, exhale part really puts you into the poem so the reader can see and feel everything you are describing, which I found very interesting.
I loved how you described the process of writing, from being the writer all the way through to when your words reach others. The line
“ To the reader, a passerby
Who decides to give me the gift of time
And spend a few minutes reading my creation.
Thank you, good Samaritan,
You’re very kind”
This was an amazing way to end the poem, a thankful to the reader for giving you their time. This was beautiful. It made me really feel as though I was a part of your writing. Thank you for sharing, it was awesome!
AC,
Your poem is a great read and I like the simile that you use, “I pull the thoughts out of my brain, like pulling threads out of a cloth”. That simile paints a really great picture in your poem and I think the title really embodies the feeling of the poem. Keep up the great writing.
Your poem made me smile! Thank you for writing something so that I could read it–it really made my day. Please keep writing!
You do a good job describing what it feels like to be “in the zone”,
so focused on what you’re doing and enjoying it, so time feels non existent.
It’s like you’re on a different plane of existence entirely!
Hi AC,
I love this poem! As a fellow writer, I can also relate to the process you’re describing, and it’s wonderful to read it from the other side. I love the imagery of you “one by one, [pulling] the thoughts out of [your] brain.” You did such a great job describing how tedious writing can feel, like you have to squeeze your brain to even think of a single word (but it’s worth it!). I also love how you follow those lines up with “Like pulling threads out of a cloth, A veil.” When I think of a veil, I think of hiding. As you know, writing is one of the best ways to uncover hidden things about yourself or face things that you have worked so hard to keep hidden but no longer serve you. So I’m so glad you have had a positive experience with it! Also, your thoughts aren’t silly at all; I feel lucky to have read them.