page one of the new novel

i start a new novel.

i've outlined

the plot,

listed the characters,

given them

an identity

before i begin to write.

i research

the country,

the town

where it all takes place,

i learn about 

the manner of dress

and speaking.

i imagine flashbacks,

and twists

and turns as secrets

are revealed.

i even see the ending

before i know

the beginning.

i sit at the typewriter

with a clean

sheet of paper,

hands on the keyboard,

ready to start,

but already i'm exhausted

and need to rest.

i set it all aside 

for a tomorrow

that may never come.

poetry is so much

easier.