I want my writing to feel like the ocean
a place where people want to go
for soothing sounds and a sense of
familiarity, a shared experience
yet surprising and unpredictable
I want my writing to feel like the wind,
gusts of ideas, meditative lulls
where readers feel warmed and enveloped,
the air knows what they’re thinking
and will carry their voices everywhere
I want my writing to be like the city
engaging, inspiring, with dark alleys
and bright lights, unexpected sights
and noise – layers of difference
and pockets of known quantities
I want my writing to be a witness
to the healing of nature
to shine a beam into
the dark corners of life’s caves,
illuminate surfaces, investigate shadows
I want my writing to be a balm to broken souls
and a celebration of survival