A friend gave me this poem by David Whyte, from his book "River Flow". I've shortened it, for the purposes of space, with true apologies to Mr. Whyte, because his words are beautiful.The title is not "Publication Date" -- it's "Waiting to Go On" -- but it captures how I feel as I get ready for Ravenous to be published on February 1.-------------WAITING TO GO ONI lay a handful of walnutsto dry by the fire,pile six new apples in a bowland wiping the cutting boardsto a woody gleam, clear offthe fine needles and nubby stalksthat fell from mushroomsI found in the morning,walking the woods......All this continual practice,this sharpeningand attentive presence,allthis daily fetching and gatheringthis constant maturingand getting ready,all this slowlybeing heated through,brought to a simmer,being educated, knowledgeable,learning through experience,all this work to haveone complete daylived just as it should beandall this constant testingby the worldto see if we are done,ready, cooked through,ripe enough to fall,to be lifted, bitten right intoand consumed ourselvesand then, for everyoneall thehours of dailypractice just learning to hitthe note,the conversational note,the musical notejust right,wanting it livewith all the other notes.It must be we are waitingfor the perfect moment.It must beunder the strugglewe want to go on.It must be, deepdown,we are creaturesgetting readyfor when we are needed.It must be that waitingfor the listening earof the appreciative word,for the rightwoman or the right manor the right momentjust to ourselves.we are getting readyjust to be readyand nothing else.Like this momentjust before the guests arriveworkingalone in the kitchensensing a deepdown symmetryin every blessed thing.The waythat everythingunbeknownstto usis preparing to meet us too.Just on the otherside of the doorsomeoneis about toknockand our lifeis justabout to change.and finallyafter all theseyears rehearsing,behindthe curtain,we mightjust bereadyto go on.