The blank page rises from the east
It watches the writer still asleep
It’s white light unable to penetrate
the black light in the writer’s eyes
The writer wakes to its white silence
Reaches for what the night forgot to keep
The page offers nothing, asks for everything
A mirror that reflects only those with courage
And there it sits,
quite pleased with itself,
that smug unblemished
tyrant of the morning
Daring you, the writer, to
have the courage to
kill its white light
And you do, you bleed it blue
NaPoWriMo Day 16 – And last but not least, here’s today’s optional prompt. In “Ocean,” Robinson Jeffers delivers an almost oracular, scriptural description of the sea not just as a geographical phenomenon, but a sort of being – old, wise, profound, and able to teach those who want to learn. Today, try writing a poem in which you describe something that cannot speak, and what it has taught or told you.

2 responses to “[581] The Blank Page Mocks”
I walked into the living room
Dark with night, heavy with gloom
“Way tooo hot, you silly baboon!”
Left the fireplace on since yesterday noon.
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This is a stunningly visceral and honest piece, Rahul. I love how you transform the blank page from a passive object into an active, almost arrogant presence—a “smug unblemished tyrant.” The tension between “white light” and “black light” is powerful, and that final image of bleeding the page blue is absolutely gorgeous. It captures the cost and courage of creating something from nothing. Beautifully done.🤝
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