Kill Your Darlings
by Kirsty A. Niven

The page rejects my words,
aborting them from papery wombs,
spilling them onto the floor.

Their inky fingers claw at the air,
begging to be saved, to survive;
pointing out that I’m to blame.

Malformed and disjointed,
I couldn’t nurture them properly
in such a hostile environment.

I try, in vain, to resuscitate them;
the pen puffing more oxygen
into their iambic lungs.

The darling words die.

 

 

About the Poet:  Kirsty A. Niven lives in Dundee, Scotland. Her writing has appeared in anthologies such as Landfall, A Prince Tribute and Of Burgers and Barrooms. She has also featured in several journals and magazines, including The Dawntreader, Cicada Magazine, Dundee Writes and Word Fountain. Kirsty’s work can also be found online on sites such as Cultured Vultures, Atrium Poetry and Nine Muses Poetry.