Fountain Pen
Nib on paper whispers
With movement of my hand
Ink left behind to pool
Along my words then dry
Story unfolding fast
Faster than I can write
Story forming better—
Then comes dry-formed scratches
I sigh as ink runs out
Paper towels and faucet
I fill the reservoir
Shake fast and shake it hard
Inject glass of water
Like spooked and fleeing squid
Then disassemble pen
Gold nib and feed and cap
Scuffs from pocket travel
All left to soak a while
Gently I assemble
All but my hands are clean
Boxes of ink jars clink
This is the hardest part
Green and black and purple
Red, brown, and autumn orange
I love them equally
But one catches my eye
Royal blue speaks to me
Dipped below the ink line
Rush of pressured vacuum
A sudden flash of ink
Pen weighted in my grip
Back to starving story
Nib on paper whispers
With movement of my hand
Story unfolding fast
Faster than I can write
18 thoughts on "Fountain Pen"
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Love this! Nib on paper whispers!
Thanks, Linda!
I loved to write with a fountain pen but have not in years. Well done.
Thank you, John. I enjoy my small collection when I can.
Great sense of urgency for ink and story in this poem! Well done!
Thank you, as always, Sylvia!
I read this in a multi-layered way:”Story unfolding fast/Faster than I can write” and love its repeat.
Thank you, Pam! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
I agree with Pam: “With movement of my hand/Story unfolding fast/Faster than I can write” is great…
Thank you, Greg.
This community is great.
The nostalgia of this poem is engaging. Love “Nib on paper whispers,” an echo of fountain pen use. It was fun following the process you described and remembering those times when I used a fountain pen. I always loved having the glass jars of different color ink line the tip of my desk.
Only someone who’s experienced using them would get it entirely. Thank you, Virginia!
This poem is a tactile and looping delight! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the feedback, Jeremy!
The poem makes me miss the Parker pen with nib I used to own
Thank you, Gaby. I’m happy the poem brought on some nostalgia.
I love the recipe/ingredients for potion cadence. Especially the lines that read like commands. Cheers.
Encouraging words. Thank you, Phebe!