Surf And Turf
“I want the best of all possible worlds
For myself!” — isn’t that what we’re
Saying when we order Surf And Turf?
“Yes I want a lobster tail but that’s hardly
The whole of my desires and my needs.
I hanker as well after a small piece of high grade
Meat, a club steak, and with it (almost
As an afterthought) some broccoli, beans,
Or cauliflower in a bowl.” Yet today it seems
We’ve lost that belief in ourselves, the ardor,
The willingness to “go for it” that Stallone
Made his trademark in the original Rocky
Of 1976. So I take heart when I’m with
My honey, my doll face, in the steakhouse
Out by the cloverleaf — the one where
At seven pm they put a little flickering candle
On your table, in a water glass — I take heart
And my spirits rise when I hear a man or woman
In the adjacent banquette speak these words:
“Surf And Turf! Oh, Surf And Turf for me!
For I am worthy! I am capable of great things!
from the archive; first posted June 27, 2008
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Author: The Best American Poetry
