Thursday Poem

Writing Lessons

There are . . . still . . . so many books I want to read . . . and reread . . .
There are . . . still . . . so many places I want to travel . . . to . . .
There are . . . still . . . foods I want to eat . . . and drinks I want to sample . . .
There are . . . blankets to lie upon or under . . .
There are . . . pillows upon which to prop my books or my head . . .
I definitely want to rocket to outer space . . . I also want to explore inner space . . .
I know no one ever wished they had been meaner . . .
Or hated more . . .
Or spent more hours away from people they loved . . .
I know that life is interesting and you can never go wrong Being interested

If I were giving advice I would say: Sing
.. People who sing to themselves
.. People who make variations on songs they know
.. People who teach songs to other people
.. These are the people other people want to be with

and that will let you be a good writer
.. Because

There are . . . still . . . so many ideas to conceive

Nikki Giovanni
from
Blues for all the Changes
William Morrow & Company, 1999