The beginning part of this poem by Charles Rafferty is in the February issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. Loved it enough to find the whole thing:
AGAINST HESITATION
If you stare at it long enough
the mountain becomes unclimbable.
Tally it up. How much time have you spent
waiting for the soup to cool?
Icicles hang from January gutters
only as long as they can. Fingers pause
above piano keys for the chord
that will not form. Slam them down
I say. Make music of what you can.
Some people stop at the wrong corner
and waste a dozen years hoping
for directions. I can’t be them.
Tell every girl I’ve ever known
I’m coming to break her door down,
that my teeth will clench
the simple flower I only knew
not to give . . . Ah, how long did I stand
beneath the eaves believing the storm
would stop? It never did.
And there is lightning in me still.
I’m so glad someone else was moved by this poem. I actually thought the name of the poem was a book title, so I went looking for a book.
It’s a great poem. The theme of it reminds me of some lines from the T.S. Eliot’s poem called “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” in it the speaker debates whether he should or should not eat a peach . . .
As modern-day folk, I think we’re often prone to paralysis by analysis.
Take care.
Thanks for writing, Rita. I do think it’s a beauty.
I was delighted to see that when I googled the lines of this poem (also after finding it in oprah) that there was another (you) who was as moved to look up the whole thing. that made me smile big time. thanks for posting it. now, going to browse your website! 🙂
Always great to hear from kindred spirits. Thanks for writing!