How happy am I that Mitali Perkins has blogged about the question of whether authors should describe a character’s race? And that Roger Sutton and The Longstockings are joining in? This is an issue I think about a lot, generally coming to no useful conclusions, so it’s nice to see what other people think. Check it out — join in — ponder.

I’ve been taking a few days off, more or less. Recovering from Fire revisions and preparing myself to dive back into Book 3 — waiting for it to call to me. Writing is partly about discipline, sure, but it’s also about waiting, not forcing anything. Being patient; letting it come at its own pace.

I said this, or something like it, to my father once. Later that day, he came back to me and handed me this poem.

The Steps

By Paul Valéry

Translated by Donald Petersen

Your steps, children of my still hours,

Solemnly and slowly placed

Towards the bed of my wakefulness,

Proceed now, cool and chaste.

Person most pure, saintly shade,

How calm your measured tread, how sweet.

Gods! All the gifts which I divine

Come to me on those bare feet.

If, with your pursed lips, you would

Prepare the food of your affections

To feed the habitant who dwells

So hungrily in my reflections,

Then do not hasten this kind act,

Sweetness of being or being dead;

For I have lived to welcome you,

My heart being nothing but your tread.

******

I think that the “children of my still hours” are words. I wait for them to come to me, if they like, on their bare feet — I live to welcome them. :o)

Do you have a favorite poem? Will you share it with me?

Also, my friend Rebecca has sent me a cupcake.

Do you have a favorite baked (or knitted) treat?

knitted cupcake photo used with the

kind permission of Brenda at Loom Lore