Be

If I could be anyone,

who would I be?

It must be recognized quickly.

Looking for a black cat

in a coal cellar? Reporting

well-known faces?

Resolve the hook

of a random thought—

its redness.

Fortunately, there's a way.

I try to do whatever is best.

Sources:

The Complete Guide To Women's Golf, by Beverly Lewis (pg. 94)

Medical Emergencies in Dental Practice, by Stanley F Malamed (pg. 171)

The Singer in the Band, by Michele Breeze

The Adventures of Sally, P.G. Wodehouse (pg.80)

Mayakovsky's Revolver, by Matthew Dickman (pg. 58)

A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, by Mitch Albom (pg. 154)

The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde (pg. 180)

1,001 Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Imagery and Its Meaning, by Jack Tresidder (pg. 235)

Cosmopolitan, April 2016

Method: 

I asked 10 of my friends to complete the following steps, and the poem was composed from the results:

1. Pick up a book that's closest to you. Magazine/novel.

2. Turn to a random page.

3. Choose either the left or right hand sides of the page.

4. Type out the first line.

5. Mention your source (title, author, pg. no.)

If the sentence is incomplete, it's fine. All I need is the first LINE of your random page. Even if it ends up having just 2 words.(My word bank was a total of 78 words.) 


Note: First published in The Sunflower Collective (Oct. 2016)