[I know. I posted one by her last week. But I was shown this for the first time yesterday and loved it. For readers who may have missed the previous instances of 'disclosure' by me: Sophie Hannah is my daughter.]
Take any mind. Open its doors.
Remove all news, all views on wars,
The thought of censure or applause,
The ratio of slights to cheers.
Peel back the clutter of the years,
Paranoid doubts, ungrounded fears.
Evict the hearsay, then the fact,
The wondering how you should react,
The dream of what your life has lacked,
Smugness for all you have achieved.
Banish whatever you've believed -
All doctrines, proved or preconceived,
All shopping lists, tasks underway,
The papers piled in your in-tray,
Tomorrow, ditto yesterday.
Take your own mind. Knock down the walls.
Let wind gust freely through its halls.
Empty the grand tier, circle, stalls.
Then, with the view completely clear,
Real life as far as it is near,
Sit back and have your best idea.