I Never Liked English Literature Until I Wrote This Poem
In 2017, I was forced to take an English Literature course during my college days. Here’s the catch: I hated Engish Literature. I didn’t care for Shakespeare or any other poet during the medieval times. However, I needed to pass this course in order to get the credits — so I worked hard anyway. Or at least I tried to.
For the final course assignment, students were tasked to create an English Literature portfolio based of a theme of their choice. I chose the theme “Vices” which refers to smoking, drugs, and the whole lot. I based my first poem on the poet Neil Gaiman’s “Instructions.”
The poem I wrote changed my entire perspective on English Literature.
I thought it would be cool to share the poem with you guys.
Enjoy.
The Stick
Grab the tiny silvery box on the wooden table next to you.
Open the box and take the stick out,
put it in your mouth,
the same way as a lollipop, but not too far in.
Search for a metallic blue lighter in your left pocket,
take it out.
Hold the button on the lighter,
watch the flame burst.
Raise your right hand with the flame,
bend your head down with the stick,
spark the stick.
Inhale the fumes. Hold it. Fight it.
Feel the dreadful smog inside your lungs,
feel paradise.
Remember: mirages deceive the weak,
fooling one’s quest for water.
Blow the smog out, only when you are ready.
Be dazzled at the ghostly smoke surrounding you.
Stop. Stop what you are doing.
Look at yourself.
If you smiled from satisfaction,
inhale again.
If you frowned from misery,
inhale again.
If you looked at yourself and feel dead,
if you must,
inhale again.
Look beyond the wooden table and you will see two aluminum doors.
The black door will lead you to a dark dimension;
there is only sorrow and a land of desolation at the bottom.
The white door will lead you to an angelic dimension;
where happiness and self-control exist.
Take caution, as it can also become the dark dimension,
if you let the dusk take control.
Pick one door only, but be careful,
you can never go back.
Look to your left and you will see an unusual-looking green plant.
Only look at it if you have the desire to expand your mind.
Walk towards it, but make sure you finish your stick first.
Pick up the plant and take out some of the sticky buds on it,
it should have shiny miniature crystals on them.
Walk towards your right and find the black man wearing a massive fluffy hat,
singing a lullaby from his Rastafarian proverbs.
If he asks for the buds,
give them to him.
He will point the way to get some magical fragile paper.
Get the paper for him.
Once you give him the magical paper, he will ask you to watch his enchanted display.
Watch his display.
He will give you a special stick if you can answer his question.
The answer to his question is Puff Puff Pass.
Light up the special stick with the same procedures as your first stick,
If you start to see a tiny cloud,
inhale again.
If you start to see stars,
inhale harder.
If you start seeing the universe around you,
stop inhaling.
If you see the universe already, do not worry.
Trust your touch.
Trust your hearing. Trust your smell.
Do not let the universe around you trick you into a fake reality.
Once you find your reality, stay there.
If you can’t, keep looking.
Look at the two doors again, and make a final decision.
Do not hesitate.
Do not look at the past.
Trust your gut feeling.
Run to your chosen door.
In your chosen door, you will find another stick,
light up the stick.
And now look straight ahead,
This is your new chapter.
The Creation of Yin.Docx
Writing “The Stick” was so fun for me. I genuinely enjoyed every second of it. This artistic approach to writing made me appreciate the metaphors, similes, onomatopoeias, and more that I have to discover.
But I didn’t want to end there.
During Mid-2020, I was bored out of my mind when the Covid pandemic first took over the world by storm. So I created a “poem” Instagram page, Yin.Docx, where I share my personal thoughts through poetic techniques I’ve learned from the course — or techniques I tried to replicate from 90s rap lyrics.
For those who wonder why it’s called Yin.Docx, it’s because my Chinese name has a Yin in it. Simple as that.
Peace!
Contact Me
- LinkedIn: Erryl Ho
- Instagram: @dirteeeee
- Website: https://www.errylclassicz.com/
- Email: sendtoerrylho@gmail.com
