Poem: Not Fiction

A poem about the process of prose.

Not Fiction A Novel is not a made-up thing,     a fiction surely, but ill defined     as a work of the imagination,     when it’s not But more accurately a point of view,     spun out,     the characters taking themselves places     not imaginary Surprising the writer,     catching him unaware, as life itself     turns sweet or bitter     in a moment on the bus And it’s these moments on the bus     that make it all worthwhile, that pull     rather than push the work Plot is simple, plot takes its own course     and when it’s going well     I needn’t steer, don’t touch the wheel,     just run along behind,     trying to catch up and not be left A film in my mind, all camera angles,     not set to wait for sunsets streaming color,     but trying to nail down the quality     of light that’s there

This poem is included in Jim Freeman's poetry collection BROKEN PIECES available here in print or as an e-Book in your favorite formats.