It All Becomes Fiction--Steven Mayoff

A character in the film, Storytelling,
spelled it out for you in no uncertain
terms: Once you start writing, he

said, it all becomes fiction. The hubris
of that statement is of some comfort whenever
you think you aren’t getting things right.

Then imagine an army
of fact-checkers magnifying
your words under loupes
like grim jewelers
seeking out facets of God

in a flawed cut: a hidden
contract, sometimes known
as the Emancipation Approximation.

And yet all details are bound
by a devilish oath to accuracy
for that moment
when you start writing.

Gratification comes only after
you find yourself in a darkened
room, aware of an image

reflected in oblivion’s window, the outline
of something almost human, who
for all intents and purposes could be
a character from the film Storytelling.