“Writing: often it is the only thing between you and impossibility.”

Need a jolt of inspiration? This Bukowski poem reminds us of the power of writing, and make us feel good about putting pen to paper.

Writing
often it is the only
thing
between you and
impossibility.
no drink,
no woman’s love,
no wealth
can
match it.
nothing can save
you
except
writing.
it keeps the walls
from
failing.
the hordes from
closing in.
it blasts the
darkness.
writing is the
ultimate
psychiatrist,
the kindliest
god of all the
gods.
writing stalks
death.
it knows no
quit.
and writing
laughs
at itself,
at pain.
it is the last
expectation,
the last
explanation.
that’s
what it
is.

Charles Bukowski, “Writing.”

 

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  1. Beautiful, an open flow sustains me thru physical hunger, I sometimes catch myself breathing only in & out of the words & the thought behind them not thru my lungs but thru my fingers as they grace the keyboard. I am 10000% myself when writing.

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  2. In writing you can do anything:
    listen to the language of the grasshopper
    the murmur of ants
    as they walk in line
    get up close
    with the lovers and listen
    to their heartbeats
    in writing you can do anything.

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  3. I recently had a bad experience and after struggling to know how to move on from it, I suddenly thought that I could try writing about it on my blog. And what happened, to my amazement, was that this horrible thing that happened was transformed into a creative flow which resulted in one of the bests posts I have written. This was not a self pitying post which brought people down either, it was crafted to the best of my abilities and gave me the opportunity to change and move on.
    It was for me a real turning point. I had no idea when I started my blog that I would be fortunate enough to experience something which created such a powerful, internal shift in the way I think and relate to myself….just by writing! It is amazing!
    Karen.

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  4. Actually, writing pours out emotions. We convey our thoughts through writing. I actually feel restless until and unless I don’t pick up my pen and start penning. I write whatever comes in my mind, then sit and edit or revise it.
    Writing gives that joy, that pleasure which other activities would fail to provide.

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  5. This is spot on and having a blog to write about the way you feel makes things easier your getting your thoughts out mentally expressing yourself

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  6. I love this poem so I shared it on my writers’ club Facebook wall. I’ve been keeping myself from writing and worrying about not being good enough, when writing is what makes me feel hopeful and whole. #funny yet sad.

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  7. true, writing is everything, it knows no love, no wealth, no location… but rather it is you;you alone and may be the inner you for it tells who you are and what you are

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  8. really it makes me realize how could writing would mean to me also, an yes its the last explanation, and yes knows no death and knows no quit above it all..

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