overcoming writer s block

the other day i stumbled
across a ripped-out page
from the m encyclopedia
boss and it intrigued me

on the ripped-out page
it had a picture of a
painting created by the
famous renaissance
artist michelangelo
it was called the creation
of adam and it was
enthralling  i couldn t
get away from it
its images haunted me
the rest of the day

finally i had to do
something about it - and
the only thing i know how
to do is write something
so this is what
came out

across the gray
immensity of time
the hand of i am
descended
to build a world of
cold atoms
of dead mountains
of tormented seas
and a clay robot as
master of it all

but into this
falsely-animated
chaotic dark and
meaningless mass
stretched this time
the hand of love
to touch life to the
soul of man

so there it was boss
although it certainly
does no justice to
the work itself

as i stood staring at
the painting and at
my poem freddy the
flea hopped across
the page

hey what s this he
asked

it s a painting of the
creation of adam says i

and you wrote a poem
about it freddy said can
i read it

sure if you want to says
me a bit embarrassed

i don t understand it
said he what does it
mean

it just says that god
created humankind says me
even more embarrassed

but isn t that who created
you and me too says he

is that what makes human
beings so special freddy
asked

yeah i guess so says me
and then i thought for a
moment that s what makes
anybody special

with that freddy hopped
happily away and i
returned to stare at
that glorious painting
boss wishing i could
see the real thing
at the sistine chapel
someday

such are the hopes and
dreams of the church
pew underworld

amos