Art is Thieving by Paula Puolakka

The art of thieving is
that art is thieving.
A novel is somebody’s bike,
and a fellow writer decides
– out of pure jealousy and envy –
to take the tires and fit them into
the frame of his vehicle.
“Wow, the details are beautiful,”
says the reader,
and the writer begins to sweat.
He knows that he’s a thief,
but instead of being honest and
revealing the name of the true genius,
he explains that his baffling reaction to
the kind comment was based on his modest and
humble nature.

Paula Puolakka (1982) is a Beat poet, writer, and MA (History of Science and Ideas.) On April 15, she was the guest editor of The Ekphrastic Review’s “Throwback Thursdays.” In April 2021, Puolakka won a top prize in the “Lahti, the European Green Capital of 2021” writing competition (16+/adult category.) Her story celebrated “Teddy.”