Lingering Poets by Logan Lamech

Lingering Poets

by Logan Lamech

(Fiction » Crime)

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Within each individual stirs a conflict between passion and logic. Within society however, this struggle ended years ago and the reign of logic began. Despite this age of informed decisions and constructive thinking a few remain who let emotions guide their way. Choosing to live against this grain can leave one feeling without a place in the world. These lingering few who endure, even without a pen in hand, could be called poets. Samuel, a lonely postal worker recently divorced, has bouts with suicidal impulses. His writings and passions have only brought about pain and disappointment. His last surviving creative outlet is imagining what his deliveries contain and what affect they might have on those receiving them. Things begin to change for Samuel when a seemingly groundless daydream about a shipment of money proves to be more than just a theory. Stealing the missing fortune could prove to be exactly what he needs to escape the monotonous chains that bind him. When Samuel realizes he can’t accomplish his goal alone he seeks help in The Post Edition; a neighborhood full of prideful hoodlums whose passionate and lawless approach to life is perfect for his situation. Now it’s Samuel and the Posties versus law enforcement and a slew of criminals but the cost for Samuel’s freedom could prove too great for everyone involved.

A Word from the Author

I believe one of the most daunting tasks an author faces is getting started. Many of us are waiting to come up with the “perfect” idea for a book, before we begin. I know for myself, even when I would come up with a quality concept, it would become so large and intricate that getting started would still become overwhelming.

Considering this, one day I thought to myself that the important thing was to just get back in the habit of writing every day. I didn’t need to wait for the right thing. I just needed to grab on to any idea regardless of the caliber and get started. Once I was in the habit, then I could worry about improving the concept from there.

So I decided to close my eyes and upon opening them, the first thing I saw was what I would write about. I closed my eyes, not for long because I was driving, and when I opened them I saw a mailbox. I decided to start composing a story about a mailman and his deliveries to mailboxes. True to the theory the story built from there to become Lingering Poets.

For much of the experience the working title was, The Mailman. I was going to lean into the concept that we make many assumptions during our first impressions of everyday people like our local mail carrier. We often don’t consider all the pain, intricacies and history that actually make up that person. We don’t really know what they’re about or what they’re capable of.

But as the story progressed, the title, Lingering Poets rose to the surface quite organically. It properly embodied both why Samuel struggled to find a place in, and why David and the Posties were outsiders to, the rest of the world. So I guess the lesson for me, and probably for many authors out there, is coming up with an idea to write about doesn’t always need to be the first step. Just put pen to paper or finger to keyboard and let the ideas come as you go.

(Logan Lamech, September 2020)