The First Line

The First Line

...will show you the way.

Trust the first line
spilling out of your mind
and onto the page.

Trust first
the very first word,
even if it
is nothing more
than a pause
to catch your breath,
or a pointer
directing attention
to what comes next.

The mind is a cannibal
and will eat you alive.
But it can't swallow the heart.
So lead with your heart.

Put your fingers on the paper.
Scratch the surface with your nail
to get a sense of the texture.

Next tap-tap your pen
until dots of ink appear
as you take dictation
from your soul.

---

Faith is taking the first step
even when you don't see the whole staircase.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

---