It’s Not Easy to Become a Writer by Aayush Badal

Turning the page of the notebook,

Thinking in my heart about the topic to write,   

Uncovering the face of the pen;   

Trying to make it touch with the page

My mind’s ignorance makes my hand still like a statue

Really,   

It’s not easy to become a writer.

My hands began to tremble due to lack of words

The agonies heated my body

The literary interest inside my heart began to go wild,

Is writing not up to me?

Should I give up writing poems from now on?

Will I never be able to?

The lack of words starts questioning me

Really,

It’s not that easy to become a writer.

Chasing those infinite unanswered questions

I sat and waited for the words to flower  

Days and nights passed away

My head got stuck for months, but

The pen did not flow

The dam of words did not let itself loose

Really,

It is not easy to become a writer.

Had the pen run

An epic could have been born.

But the pen did not flow

Not even a small paragraph got inked I thought and

For being a writer by hook or crook

I began to write in whichever directions my heart thought of;

Even with zero creativity I began to search for compliments

But I received less compliments and more criticisms.   

I strengthened my heart after listening to those criticisms

Really,

It is not easy to become a writer.

I realized something new must be started by oneself

But what is there to do

The words don’t strike for writing,

Creativity does not rise,

Oh god!

Really,

It is not easy to become a writer.

Once again, I took out a new page

Uncovered the pen’s cover

And again, I began to touch it with the page

I kept on writing and writing all that I knew

I wrote the alphabets (ka, kha, Gha, Jha) when nothing came

I wrote in whichever directions and whatever came to my heart like before

I just filled the paper

But I did not send it before the readers because

I wasn’t a writer.

I tore thousand papers 

I shed sweats

I wrote till my hand started to hurt

And I did the toil to bear the sweet fruit

Really,

It’s not easy to become a writer my friend

We have to labor hard keeping literature above all

And then only

One can enjoy the perks of being a writer

And be known as a litterateur. 

Aayush Badal (b.2002) is a young poet based in Nepal. He writes poems and short stories.

Translated by Sushant Thapa from Nepali