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by Robbie Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E · Prose · How-To/Advice · #2145962
A slam poem about writing a slam poem. Go figure.
Step One
Procrastinate
Do this until the only time you're writing is for your class
Until you are sitting there listening to slam poetry on YouTube while staring at a blank page thinking, "Maybe that could be me..."
Until you force yourself to write something
Step Two
Finally, come up with an idea that gets sparks flying and writing. It. Down.
Step 3
Let those sparks ignite a fire.
Put your pen to the page and write so fast the smoke clouds rise and block your vision,
Don't let this fire burn out,
Use every flaming detail until it has been written so beautifully on the page that you can barely read your own writing
Step Four
Realize that this masterpiece you finished righting,
Is far from perfect While the smoke has been clouding your eyes,
You failed to notice every missed spelling,
And forgot to blend all the metaphors into one theme,
Kind of like when you forget to shade the pastels in your oil painting,
But I digress.
Step Five
Grab an eraser and wipe out whatever doesn't work
Your eraser shavings are the ashes, don't forget to clear them away to build something new.
Fill in all the spaces after you've cleared the debris,
Don't let them stay void and empty,
Reignite whatever was left of that fire so that you can keep the metaphors going.
Step Six
Recite your poem constantly
Blow the minds of your friends the first time they hear it,
But ignore them telling you "That's enough" after the hundredth recitation.
Step Seven
This is the most important part
You could take one of two paths
One.
You could start all the way back at the beginning and go back to procrastinating.
I DO NOT SUGGEST THAT OPTION.
Two.
Go back to the second step and write down any ideas you think of.
Write down the first line or first stanza beside your notes,
Write down the words that made you think of writing,
And when you have the time, go back and look.
Then think to yourself,
"What on Earth did I mean my 'reflections in windows'?!"
Or something along those lines, you understand my point.
When you get out your notebook or laptop or phone,
Just make sure you get that idea down,
Start fanning the flames instead of suffocating them by leaving it unattended and without fuel.
But I beg of you.
Keep writing.
Get every thought out of your mind and onto a paper or screen.
Stay as far from step one as you possibly can.
I know that sometimes it's easier to dit in the piles of rubble with your head in your hands,
But it's so much better to use your hands as a means of clearing yourself a place to write.
Clear yourself a path away from these burnt out flames,
Find somewhere for the new fires to grow.
Let them feed off your words,
Allow them to grow large enough for the flames to catch the attention of others,
Just please,
Keep writing,
Because we're waiting for those sparks to fly.
© Copyright 2018 Robbie (robirose at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
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