I Know I am A Writer by William Fredrick Cooper

(Written July of 2007)

I want to be a writer

Whose flow is like Eric Pete's

With imagery akin to Channer or James Baldwin

And we all know that's no simple feat

I want to be a writer

One that touches your heart

Through Eros, thinking prose or poignant tale

A reader's soul is a wonderful place to start.

I want to be a writer

One creating a legacy

Like Dumas, Wheatley, Wright or Donna Hill,

Added to a pinch of Eric Jerome Dickey

I want to be a writer

Whose pride is in his diversity

A message-deliverer like Michael E. Dyson or Ralph Wiley

Or weaving a story to every ethnicity

I want to be a writer

Cognizant of the importance of literacy

That understands many ancestors have died

So we can cultivate our artistry

I want to be a writer

Always enamored with this craft

Articulate alliteration, strong substance, stable sentence structure

Enhancing your mind like the forefathers of my past

I want to be a writer

One that explores both joy and pain

Touching hearts while striving for greatness

Yet stirring sexual senses, like someone I know named Zane.

I know I am a writer

And with that comes responsibility

Of giving my all at signings and book-club meetings

Because it's helpful to our community

I know I am a writer

One encouraging those going astray

With words screaming progress, not regression

Our future depends on me this way

I know I am a writer

In awe of God's gift to me

I pray to make a strong contribution

To both our village and to history.

And I mean this... man....