"A Poem Every Day"

My intention with this blog is to post something every day, aiming at approximately 300 words of writing per post. Obviously, I’m running a few days behind. That’s okay; I’ve been doing a lot of writing for my classes at school (Upper Iowa University). I also write in my journal every day, something I have been doing for many years.

Back in high school, I promised my girlfriend that I would write her a poem every day. For a while, I did. Most of them were short nonsense ditties. The relationship did not last, but my lyric-writing did. I wrote the lyrics for “A Poem Every Day” on a train ride between Boston and Des Moines. I don’t recall which direction I happened to be going at the time. That was a fun trip though. In 1985, I was still young and absolutely gung-ho on becoming a huge pop star. My goals have evolved since then, but I still strive to recapture that youthful energy and sense of purpose, even if the purpose has changed.

A Poem Every Day

© 1985 Brian Hutzell

I promised I'd write a poem every day

Even if I had nothing to say

Just scribble down about a page

Trivial rhymes; I am no sage

I'll never break the promise I made

But now I think I could use some aid

I'm struggling to think – trying to find

Anything useful in my mind

I'm coming up blank: nothing at all

I've run up against a solid wall

But I promised I'd write a poem every day

And now I've run dry, to my dismay.

Looking down the page I've written here

I see the end is very near

So this is my poem; I made it through

Take it away! I give it to you!

Toby and friends