all poems and photographs
© by Maya Stein

all poems and photographs
© by Maya Stein
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Sunday, November 06, 2005

low flame


















Reading the website of the bestselling author
whose books I'd read and recommended,
I saw things were getting really good for him.
He was charging for lecture tours now and
one of his books was being made into a movie starring
Gwyneth Paltrow and Annette Bening.

I realized I had two choices:
I could flail at the stack of blank paper
lying flaccid on my desk,
stare like a crazy person at my screen
with my brain on the verge of mutiny,
and write angry, ugly things.

Or I could use the time
to make a really good steak,
with the potatoes I like,
which are best cooked over a low flame,
to avoid unnecessary burning.

3 comments:

dweezila said...

you are a wise, wise woman. I like your stance on things. I've been feeling a lot like this lately. This morning I was thinking that a part of me was feeling small, that I needed to do something big, but mostly it was a kind of attention that i sought. I like your steak idea. I might go fold laundry now.

stephoto said...

Yes. I get it completely. Grounding oneself in the solid, lovely details of life. Thanks!

Steph

MB said...

a reminder that we all always have choices. yours was a good one. i suspect you enjoyed it. now it makes me want to choose a steak and some fried potatoes for myself!