I wanted to be an artist
But instead, I have to write
It felt like a death sentence
A funeral of my thoughts paraded through every line

I used to think this writing
Was something I could not control
An entity separate from myself
Some godly gift I was made to play host

They say poetry is as old a time
So was I born with a seed planted in my heart?
Did childhood trauma unlock this age old art?
Was I damaged to the brink of another being inhabiting my spirit?

The walls must have cracked inside my head
I truly accepted I was to become nothing
Until these words kept spilling from my pen
Pouring out over and over so that I could finally breathe again

These sparks would come and leave whenever they wanted
Using my mind as if it's a vacation home
Like I'm an Airbnb or some excursion from the darkness
Leaving behind crumbs of poetry at my door

I used to believe I was not the authority
Of this treasure that I occasionally displayed
All alone with my little scraps of notes
Then, something happened I cannot explain

I sunk my teeth into this otherworldly guest
And chained them to my stained broken walls
Now the inspiration flows as if my cup was never empty
This new liberated ability that so fluently translates art

I wanted to be an artist
But my hands were not meant to be covered in paint and color
They were crafted long before the day I was born
To write inspiration into the hearts others

I was always meant to be a spout
For an endless flow of hallowed water
There was never an infiltration by an ancient angry entity
I was simply given the fate of a melancholy poet

Now that I'm in control of this limitless power
I see beauty in the wind and wide open space
Creativity can be triggered from the simplest conversation
Because everything is inspiring if you're looking in the right place

I'm grateful for this gift that was bestowed upon me
Whether trauma or inheritance, it's no longer relevant
Now I see the whole of existence as a literary muse
And the paintings that I write into your mind is where you'll find the artist