I don't remember how I found Maya Stein originally, but after reading some of her writing, I signed up to receive a poem every Tuesday. Since then, wiithout fail, every week, she sends an a poem.
Because I've not been myself lately, I haven't been blogging much. Tonight, I spent some time reading and rereading some of Maya's poems and prose. I sent off an e-mail asking if I could post a poem she wrote some time ago. A few minutes later, she responded with a yes. In fact, she told me I could post anything she wrote on my blog. So here is the poem.
instructions against war
put down your flaming, burnished spear
unmask your vicious threats
reveal your white-hot rage for fear
cast off your harsh regrets
pry open all the locked-up doors
behind which hatred cries
dig up the shame under your floors
make naked all your lies.
lay bare the demon in your dread
lay waste of all your fury
don't wait 'til all of us are dead
we're in that much a hurry.
evict each dirty, shadowed greed
put out each fiery ember
strip off the terror in your need
and let us both surrender.
-Maya Stein
The next post will be an essay Maya wrote which I found heartbreakingly beautiful.