Wednesday, September 26, 2007

I Used to be a Poet

Like a lot of kids raised on hip hop, I took a turn at writing poetry. I dabbled in college. But really cranked out some grade A crap at the dawn of the 21st century following a nasty break-up.

The early stuff was kinda emcee-ish. Thankfully, all of it has been lost.

The later stuff was mostly cheap therapy. From 2001-2004, I posted a lot of it here.

Honestly, there were genuine flashes of brilliance. But I never felt like I found my own voice. Reviewing my own stuff often revealed my poems to be an exercise in imitating everyone from Charles Bukowski to Gil Scott Heron to whomever was appearing on Def Poetry Jam.

When I left LA in '05, I stopped writing. For various reasons. Mostly, though, 'cause I had nothing to say. And Langston Hughes always said, "The prerequisite for writing is having something to say."

Well, I still don't know if I have anything to say. Yet, here I am hacking away for all the world to see. Wouldn't you know it, I even tried to write a little poem the other day. Actually, I wrote it a couple months back. I just forgot about it until now.

"another anybody"

a hug

is a hug
is a hug
is a hug

except for

those embraces
that come

after the end

when
your favorite
friend
lover
someone
has become

just another anybody.


(c) Tim Adkins, 7.14.07

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

and, I still like this *little* poem b/c it gives us just at *bit* more of you... I wish you'd write more. I wish you'd love writing more...

who am I kidding? I've not written something since late July... my brain is on pause...

the_capital_t said...

It's growing on me, Tre. Writing, that is.