Blank Pages and Beer

Inspired by a line from Shazbatt969

Turning the empty leaf

I dip my head in painful

contemplation,

 

my pen

hanging limply

between my finger and my thumb.

 

I forage deep within

the dark annals

where my grey matter

 

stores memories,

both good and bad

and indifferent.

 

Where constructs,

fragmented or

well formed

 

sit awaiting

conscious direction

by me,

 

as my hand is fed

by lit neural pathways

in slow, monotonous drips.

 

So I reach for the bottle

and the glass

and drink deeply

 

generous measures

of forty percent

inspiration

 

and a beer chaser,

till my eyelids

seal themselves.

 

29/05/19

Author's Note

Reviews

[gram linski]

The drinkers muse is a dangerous thing, it visits me on occasion, this is the best poyim I've ever writ, next morning, oh deary me this is s**t, did I press send Oh fuckity f**k, blank pages and beer have filled and fulfilled my life, lol, good poem,

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Indeed this is often the case, tiredness does the same thing and as you can tell all my posts are either when tired, drunk or both! Many thanks for getting in on the act!

[Shazbatt969]

The muse drinks my soul, like
a forgotten blues,
measured out in optics
house double shoes
and grand stanzas of doubt
got immersed in tantric broken tongue
speaking Mayan dead sCRIFICES
of the old and the dead,
the pen speaks for the hand,
the hand says fuckyou
and broken /woken mornings
sang repent, repent

[John Alexander McFadyen]

I am so sorry your hang over is so bad. Take an Alka Seltza and drink plenty of water!

[Cherrie]

Now this has that gritty sensation of fact. The visualization is vivid as we the reader see the composer, not composing but surrendered in sleep.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Ah but an intoxicated sleep Cherrie, many thanks

[Cherrie]

Tom T Hall, has a lighter version called I Like Beer.

[Chris Shaw]

I've always found the muse so fickle. Either making you work overtime or clearing off altogether. When she goes, she goes and a drink won't entice her back. You just have to be patient and enjoy that drink knowing it isn't going to help your words. Well written and relatable John.

Chris

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Ah but I do find a moderate amount of alcohol gives me Heaney/Hemmingway etc type thoughts at times lol. Many thanks Chris.

[Chris Shaw]

Then you are a very lucky man :)

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Ah but the trick is putting them on paper. Cheers Chris and good morning!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

and wake up the next day....with still no words on the page...reminds me of jack nicholson in The Shining.

she reads what he has been writing for days and all that is on the pages is..."all work and no play makes jack a dull boy"
we can't force it...even the drink can't make the words pour out of us.
j.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Indeed so Jacob and yet so many of our best writers and poets have a history with excessive alcohol. I recall the Nicholson scene vividly; another great film. Many thanks.