As I opened the book, I stared at the pages

Suddenly panic stricken

What was I supposed to write?

What was I meant to share?

I heard the rain tapping against the glass like woodpeckers wanting in

I’m supposed to be writing, not birdwatching

But there were no birds, there was only rain

Rhythmic, it beat on the window

And I tapped my foot with it

My mind was going everywhere

Everywhere but what I should write

Who came up with the rules anyway

Telling me what I should write

Isn’t it about what I feel?

No deadlines, just questions and distractions

I don’t know

I stared back at the pages of the open book

I heard, take your own advice, don’t overthink, just create

So I let my pen gently touch the page

Let’s see where it goes tonight

Down in the darkened cave, I felt a reprieve

I was alone, and could create anything I wanted

There were no shoulds here, just me and my words

I wanted to write whimsy

So I wrote whimsy

The small little creature next to me cracked jokes and we laughed as I wrote his stories

He had many adventures, and I was captivated by them all

It kept me out of my own head for a while

But then old doubts came back

Write something productive

If it makes me smile, it’s productive

Life has become far too serious

And I’ve written a lot of serious from my experience that will help

Sometimes we just just need a white horse in a field hiding the fact that he’s a magical unicorn to teach the other horses about bullying

Or life lessons from my dog’s perspective

And more important ones from the cat

In this room I was free

There was no one telling me who to be

I could be the me I don’t let many see

And I roll my eyes and laugh

That’s enough Dr. Seuss

5 minutes left in this whimsical place

Can I really come back with my breath?

Yes, I trust that I can

Anything is possible in this place hidden away in a field

The magical boulder revealing safety, creativity, and an escape

Right now the escape is nice

To dream and play with words

I think I’d rather not leave

2 minutes, I want to cry

Can I please just stay? Don’t make me go away

Rhyming keeps it at a distance I realized

But I am okay, I am safe

My creativity heals me

And I long for more of this freedom