When something is nudging you awake at 3 am,
then dodging around the corner of your mind before you can quite
see it.
It may be the beginning of something wonderful,
THE idea of your life,
or… small shrug.
Here is how to proceed:
Gag the inner critical chorus with a bright bandana or red silk scarf:
promise them they can organize the silverware drawer later.
Next, refrain from speculating what it is that flirts with you.
For now: animal, vegetable, mineral, all are equal.
Please too shed any insistence to know if it will succeed, be something, get you something
falling in love is never a career move.
No matter how much you think you must
hear, “brilliant, can’t wait to read it, buy it, admire it,”
keep it swaddled like
a newborn:
be sure and cover its head.
Protect yourself from the scourge of comparison,
like pilgrims did from the Black Death:
flee.
Dive deep, but do not hold your breath.
Instead, go to the park and study old people holding hands,
farmers, bonsai artists, catch-and-release fisherman too.
The rest? Is, thankfully, a mystery.
Good luck.
Love,
Jen
