I ain’t over here tryin’ to be Bukowski,
–ain’t put up with half the crap he did,
–ain’t felt half the hate.
That thick southern in those spoken word pieces,
That’s an affectation I put on for the benefit of performance.
In reality I talk the way that I write essays, and that’s my natural voice and cadence, minus the occasional s-st-stutter as my thoughts get ahead of themselves.
I sound more Midwest than Arkansasan.
I’m more soft spoken than anything,
and I’m more west-coast liberal than you can probably stand.
But I know what “ain’t”s sound like when they come sputterin’ out,
‘n I’ve said my fair share of “fer”s.
There’s that push-pull-tear sort of feelin’ you get in a public space,
You see the others doin’ shit that gets ’em noticed,
–you think, well fuck man, I can do that, so you try it,
But you’ve also got this inner feeling of loyalty:
–I am my own voice, I don’t want to be just
another
another
another
another
voice lost in the crowd.
And those voices calling you the fuck out on it,
They’re pretty damn persuasive.
But here’s the deep vein truth of it, boys ‘n girls ‘n anyone around or between:
Fuck everyone.
You’re your own damn artist.
If you find your voice echoing the voice of someone else,
If you find your words have suddenly hit some literary form of puberty
–awkwardly shiftin’ between one stage ‘n the next
–’til they shift into some sort of subtle normalcy
Who cares?
You write for you and your goals.
If you want lots of attention, write your way into the feature formula,
–follow-for-follow-for-fucking-eva-til-your-dash-is-a-wilderness-even-Eagle-Scouts-can’t-understand
But don’t let someone call you traitor for tryin’ out something you like.
You’re the artist,
and they’ll either read or run the fuck away.
Ain’t like you’re selling your work here on Tumblr,
You ain’t got to please anyone but yourself,
and if you’re happy writin’ like Taylor Swift,
If you’re happy soundin’ like Tyler Knott,
Why the fuck do you care what I think?
Some people like that shit,
and if it’s your bag,
Live it up,
Write it up,
Not givin’ a fuck is not givin’ a fuck,
Even about originality.
