A poem that I wrote that any geek with grand project ideas can relate to. (By the way, I’ve finally settled on Django as the framework for my next web app. Maybe with SQLAlchemy. Or not. Or maybe I’ll do it in LISP instead. Or Haskell. Or Erlang. Either way, I still need to learn more JavaScript for the front-end. I should probably buy another book on it. Or two.)

Starting Out, by Albert Sweigart

“When starting out,” the sculptor said,
“First lay out your tools with care.
And always remember, through and through,
The most important thing is to prepare.”

The sculptor’s tools were neat and ordered,
His studio was well-lit and clean,
He always began by sweeping eleven times,
And sometimes twelve or thirteen.

Centered was an untouched marble block,
His raw, undeveloped masterpiece,
Here is where the magic was made,
On this stone his genius would be released.

“But not so fast,” the sculptor warned,
“Great works don’t just fall from Heaven,
After all, it takes nine months to make a baby,
And sometimes, ten or eleven.” (more…)