charles p. ries | fly of inspiration

Poetry Dispatch No. 98 | August 27, 2006

FLY OF INSPIRATION by Charles P. Ries

Sometimes when I sit down
to write I place my fingers
just above the key board and
let my mind expand beyond
the confines of my head.
It’s a little relaxation technique
I do. I fill the whole house with
my mind and invite those
‘things’ floating in the unseen
to come visit. As I do this I
can feel myself get a bit light
headed. Then I remain still and
wait. Like a frog on a lily pad
scanning the sky for a fly to eat.

And I wait.

Sooner or later, I see or feel
something as it comes in for a
landing. I let it rest on my tongue
as I try to figure out what it tastes
like and feels like, and what it might
become if I spend time with it.
Usually it will tell me something
about itself, but more often than
not it remains a mystery until I
follow it with my fingers.

from ODD, Pudding House Publications, 2005