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Top-Selling Author
by Jeffrey ParrenI was not bestowed with said information
until the meal was nearly completed
and I jokingly mentioned her adept use
of synonyms to describe the dessert
she was currently defending
since I said others were better
and in a witting fashion asked
if she was indeed a writer.
Indeed, she was.
Apparently, I was waiting on
a top-selling author, and me,
the simple servant waiter
must pay homage to such presence.
Apparently.
This top-selling author seemed to be
the frailest, most fragile ornament
on the Christmas tree in a tornado.
Not only were the big portions
too much to comprehend let alone handle,
the sheer thought of meat touching her plate
at this steakhouse was only irony's fancy.
So fickle and brittle an off-shore breeze
could catapult this giant of prose sailing
yet me not knowing who she was
just by looking at her, as if
she was in the latest big movie
or on the cover of Maxim,
I am the ignoramus who was now told
(by her publicist)
to look up the top-selling authors
to find out on my own:
Who is this modern wonder???
If this is what happens when you finally make it
when your hard work of trouble and toil over words
have finally brought you to your knees
and you seemingly sell your soul
so that all that is left is a leaf ready
to be catapulted through the remainder of life
then I'd rather be a cop or robber,
at least there's no hidden or lost meaning. 10/19/2010 Author's Note: It happened, and boy was she feeble.
But I'm the idiot, right.
And no I don't know who she was, nor do I care.
Posted on 10/19/2010
Copyright © 2024 Jeffrey Parren
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by George Hoerner on 10/19/10 at 01:45 PM An interesting experience and a good write. I saw/heard Mary Oliver read a couple years ago in WY. She also was somewhat frail. Maybe it is just the number of years and the toll it takes on you mind/body to reach that pinnacle as a writer where as in some sports for instance once you over 30 you need to retire, as you can no longer keep up with the young ones. |
| Posted by Gabriel Ricard on 10/19/10 at 07:16 PM Fascinating stuff, man. There's a lot of hectic, frantic images flying past each other throughout this, and it's engaging for the sake of the story every step of the way. |
| Posted by Joe Cramer on 10/19/10 at 07:23 PM ... excellent... you nailed it! |
| Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 10/19/10 at 10:50 PM Silly publicist - one wonders.... You make the author herself appear very frail, indeed. I enjoyed your images here, the use of "brittle", "off shore breeze", "catapult", and loved that last line. Thank you. |
| Posted by Charlie Morgan on 10/21/10 at 09:39 PM ...jeff, a good kicker with a nerf boot; a rich narrative of both THE you and THE she. |
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