The Muse Arrives at Her Leisure
“Inspiration is the unforseen quality, the muse that assails at the hidden hour.” —— Patti Smith, Devotion
I’ve started Patti’s new book, A Book of Days. She’s always been an inspiration for me - her music, poetry, photography, writing. This morning I stumbled on a blog post about Patti that started my day on a thoughtful trajectory, a “hidden hour” (longer, really) of reading and thinking in between chopping vegetables for Thanksgiving supper and listening to Tom Petty. Patti and Tom have much in common. Their way with words, with capturing the essence of a feeling, a mood. The universality of their points of view and how they communicate with the world. Their working class roots.
The quote above feels right to me. I began my writing about 15 years ago in a cocoon of hidden words using an alter-ego on an obscure blog platform. I eventually came out, published some poetry and stories and had a blast doing it. But today, the muse said it’s time to go private again. I’m feeling insular. I want to think and consider. I want to crawl into a hidden hour.