What its Like to be an Artist

The number of blank notebooks and canvases
I've bought to make art on never does
The irony of the matter any justice,
Because trying to put the mixing bowl of
Thoughts and ideas onto an 8 by 11
Piece of paper never gets easier.

Imagine being alone in the middle
Of the arid lands of Africa with a
Stampede of wildlife coming right at you,
And you had to spot the zebra in the middle
In time for you not to get trampled.
Now, imagine not being given a telescope
But having to identify Mars in the entire
Sea of stars in the night sky.
Everyday I do this.
Everyday I sift through the thoughts
I have been presented with for the day
And I pick the one I can work with.

There's this itch you get under your
Fingertips when you're an artist-
It's never gone away for me, and there's
Good and bad to that,
Because having this need to put something
On paper gets overwhelming when you
Have no ideas, or too many-
Sometimes you have a feeling that
Deserves to be recognized but there is no
Way on earth you can do it justice.

So, yes, being an artist is something
I never would have chosen, but its
Something that has slowly woven itself
Into my DNA, and I might as well
Stick it out for a while, I mean who knows,
Maybe something incredible will come out of this.