Creative Class Blues
Photo courtesy of Clara Bensen
if creativity is the ultimate virtue,
then why did god create the earth
only to drown it
in a flood?
I ask as a creator who traffics
not in planets but in clicks,
and who, like the Almighty,
has grown wary
of her own creations.
or perhaps I’m wary of creating altogether
in this city of
new creativity, true creativity,
and the Top 10 Secrets to
Unleashing Your Hidden Creativity!
if you say any word enough times
you begin to forget what it means,
and maybe it’s worth forgetting
if what it means
is simply:
adult coloring books
and life hacks and laundry-fetching apps
and all products crafted, curated,
bearded, and barrel-aged.
if creativity
is nothing more radical than
really good branding,
then maybe it’s worth destroying
like the Almighty Creator
did in the beginning.
so if I were you, I’d craft an artisan ark,
because I’m made
in god’s image,
and I am in
the mood
for deluge.
Clara Bensen is the author of “No Baggage: A Minimalist Tale of Love and Wandering,” a novel depicting a sans-luggage adventure to Europe with a newly-minted travel partner. She takes long, cross-city walks in Austin and writes poetry. You can read more here: www.clarabensen.com.
The End of Austin 