Poem: Standing Away

Sometimes poetry flows and then at other times, the work is in not working.

Standing Away I’ve been writing hard, but not the thing Poetry, for a change, a breath that’s not its breath Not that I’m stuck or tired or run out or pissed, just need to stand away a while, write letters It goes in hunks and now is not a hunk Spinning and running, taking me places I didn’t think I’d go and maybe shouldn’t But there it is, running and I’m out of breath Taking time for guilt with no guilt Sometimes the work is in not working That’s not my line, but I love it so in a couple of years, I’ll forget and claim it as my own and believe it

This poem is included in Jim Freeman's poetry collection THE SMELL OF TWEED AND TOBACCO available here in print or as an e-Book in your favorite formats.