the secret of writing

there was a time
when it was harder
to write.
to express yourself.
the sun had to be just
right in the sky.
the phone needed
to be off,
you needed coffee
on the desk,
a thesaurus and a
dictionary nearby.
there had to be silence.
you worried about
each word
that left your mind,
through your tapping
fingers. agonized
over the whole lot
being read
and liked, praised
or criticized.
now you don't care
and it's made things
a lot easier.
if only you had known
this secret years
ago.