Of course, there always has to be that first
moment. You dip your toes
in the cold water before you plunge. And when it doesn’t go as planned,
remember the essay you wrote,
the short story, the slow sailing
to the last line: how your eyes
moved from the last word back
to that first tentative penciled
opening at the left margin of the page,
flush. Now the ending brings you back
to where you began, and the journey
makes your opening line stronger,
even though you can’t change a word.