There is a beautifully, terribly, intimidatingly white Notepad box
Sitting in the exact centre of my screen, staring straight at me.
Its blank emptiness somehow conjures images of a sneer and mocks
My attempts to fill it with (I admit it) quite a lot of stupidity.

Of course I really want to shut it up (perhaps add "in your face!")
But the words are slipping like butter from my fingers -
Inspiration doesn't want to stay too long (it has some other brain to grace)
And before another moment, only a speck of originality lingers.

Filled with frustration, I think for a moment of stealing the lyrics
Of the song I'm listening to, and I sit hard on my hands to avoid
Passing them off as my own - just think of the responses from the critics!
(Plus I get the odd feeling that some lawyers might get annoyed.)

I give up! You win, Box, because rhyming is so very hard
That it's now gifted me with a headache
For trying to imitate even the lowliest bard.
I can't wait to give it a break.

So that's why I've decided that,
Speaking personally,
I'm going for free verse
All the way, baby!