Why I Write Poem by James Casey

I write to relieve the pressure
The pressure I put on myself

Because of all the issues
Writing them down usually helps

I used to medicate them with booze, work, and sleep
That was my way out, but I'd gotten too deep

That way I didn't sink but swim
A way to control the fear and doubt
And that's what I write about

Sometimes God sends the words to me
At times they come too hard and fast
I can't write down all I see
Because they never stay long or last

They come to me real fast and fast again they go
Sometimes gone before I write
Where they go I do not know

Getting them back is a hopeless fight
But those I can and do retain
God helps me put them down
As they are plucked from my tortured brain

Then one poem becomes many
The ones that see the light
Are the ones that enlighten me
And that is why I write

Jim 1967