I Am a Nowhere Man
Nowhere Man
Sometimes I feel invisible,
A Nowhere Man, I don’t exist.
Such thoughts may be unfounded,
But these feelings still persist.
I rarely take the leading role,
Or stand out in the crowd.
I’d rather converse quietly
Than shout my case out loud.
When I first began to write
For years I wasn’t read.
Perceived literary ability
Was purely in my head.
As the volume of my work increased
My online presence slowly grew.
People began to read my poems,
Short stories, essays too.
When involved in group discussion
My voice is rarely heard,
Others often cut me off,
But not so the written word.
Writing helps me voice my thoughts,
Get my message to the world.
Say the things I’d never speak,
To every man, woman, boy, and girl.
Sometimes I cannot find the words,
They don’t roll off my tongue.
But when I take a pen in hand,
The pendulum has swung.
I still feel like a Nowhere Man
In public or in a crowd.
But being called “a writer”
Makes me extremely proud.
by John Hansen © 2016
Now I find myself branching out and experimenting with short fiction, and thoroughly enjoying this, especially flash fiction.
I have been fortunate to have two poems made into songs and recorded. The first "On the Road to Kingdom Come" by Al Wordlaw, and the second, "If I Could Write a Love Poem" by award-winning Israeli/British singer Tally Koren.
My services increasingly in demand as a freelance writer and I have ghost-written the text for a number of children's books and educational tutorials.
It has taken me many years of searching and restlessness to realise that my life's passion is to write. It saddens me that I wasted so many years not devoting to that, but thinking positively, the experiences gained over those years are now wonderful material for my stories and poems.
I want to try to bring a new focus on poetry and try to make it appealing to a new generation of young people and those who thought they never liked or understood it before.
- The First Word – A Flash Fiction Story - January 18, 2024
- Dawns Song ~ and Twilight Serenade - December 1, 2023
- Weave Me a Story - June 15, 2023
A fine writer you are John and I love to read your works. This poem is enjoyable. Well done.
Thanks, Phyllis. I always appreciate your generous comments.
Now I just can hear that song, “Nowhere Man” lol. I think titles must play through the minds of poets! It is very hard to explain the purpose of a writer; you make some great points.
Thank you for reading this Jackie. Yes, I had that song embedded in my head too, so I had to add it at the bottom of the poem.
We all have different ways to express ourselves, we writers through words. I always say ‘ I don’t speak it, I write it!’ Often I can’t find the words to speak but with a writing implement I’m an endless stream. I so relate my friend. Well done John.
Tony, I have often said the same thing, or something similar. “Give me a pen and I’ll write down my thoughts rather than say it.” Some people can just roll words off their tongue in a steady stream, not I. I find American TV series like “Bones” so unrealistic because of the constant quick fire dialogue.