Why Write?

Photograph by Juliet Altmann

Must you write? the wise ones always ask

So that novice writers know what to do next

That little question’s a part of the test

That a writer must pass to access the rest

The part when you know you’re a writer

You know you’re a scribe

You know you must listen

You know you must write

And once you’ve figured that out

You finally have time

To consider the questions

What should I write? — And why?

We can do it for self-inflation

We can do it to be heard

But shouldn’t there be some greater purpose for this written word?

If only some can write

And we find that we can

Then certainly we wield some power with these human hands

But what to do with that power?

We all eventually ask ourselves

We know we should tell stories, but what stories should we tell?

I know I am a writer

I know I am a scribe

I know I am to listen

I know I am to write

I know that I must do it

I know I must be heard

I know that there must be some reason for this written word

I think that I should share them

All these lessons I’ve learned

While looking for things to write about

The wonders I’ve observed

I think that I should write the truth

And listen to my heart

I don’t know where to go from here

But this is a good start

©2021 Juliet Altmann

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Why Write? was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.