Real Words

One of the things that writers need to do if they are going to be good at their craft is to face themselves honestly. This sounds like an easy task but those of us who have tried doing it know that it’s one of the most difficult things to do in life. It’s also one of the most worthwhile - not only because you start to create better writing once you’ve carefully examined yourself but also because you start to live a more authentic and open life.

In the spirit of this, I just thought I’d share a quote that I came across recently while going through some things. I can’t find the full piece of writing that it came from but I have a note on back of the photo I wrote it on that it is an excerpt from In the Museum of the Lord of Shame by Gary Rosenthal. It goes as follows:

“And so, when we get close

To the wound, when we cross

The border into Egypt

And begin to get close

To where the secrets are buried,

Our nervous system hears a voice

And the voice says,

“You don’t really want to go down there”

And you really don’t,

Anymore than Orpheus wanted to go down

The Dark staircase

Where cobwebs pulse

Like trampolines

Upon which the hosts of houseflies

Try to leap out of this world.

But what you need

To reclaim

Lives down there

South

Of your predictable borders

Where the soul is

Encrusted in Salt

From the tears we’ve yet to shed.”

Be brave as a writer and brave as a person; go deep down into yourself and see what there is to see there. And then come back and share it with the world since who you are is completely unique and who we are can benefit from reading about your experience.