During the time in which I write,
if I write intensely enough, I forget
the pain that twists and endures.
It’s not that I feel great…; actually,
I feel nothing because I dive deeply
into the deepness of finding these words.
I feel nothing but the pull and drop
of words that gradually gather sense,
gradually gather themselves until
they fall into phrases and sentences
and ideas and even occasionally
feelings with a repeating echo that soothes.
So I write some more, another line,
as if the final one will turn me loose.
From Fourteen-Line Gatherings