Back in November, when life seemed normal, an unusual and wonderful thing happened. As I was thinking about a blog post before Thanksgiving, I thought of a favorite poem titled "Applesauce" by Ted Kooser. It gives me a warm feeling of family and kitchen, and I thought it would be perfect for the post I wanted to write.
Kooser's poetry is honest and down-to-earth, insightful and surprising. In short, it is some of my favorite. So, with that in mind, I decided to get in touch with him and see if he would give me permission to use his poem on my blog. I figured I had little to lose.
Thinking back on it, I should have known better. Publishing is a business and needs to be respected as such, poets certainly need an income, and it was cheeky of me to ask a favor of someone I've never even met. I suppose I let my optimism overtake all that. Instead, I played my only cards. Kooser is a life-long Nebraskan and I grew up in Omaha so we share midwestern background, we both are interested in poetry, and I appreciate his work. I e-mailed my request.
Here's the interesting part. Very shortly I received a reply email from Mr. Kooser himself, saying that NO, I could not use the poem in question.... BUT... he offered me a poem of his that had not been published.
Can you believe it??? Because I can't. That was in November, and I
still can't believe it. Nonetheless it is true, and today I offer you, for its debut in the blogosphere and in the world... a new poem by Ted Kooser!
Toad
This leather bag of dimes goes hop by hop
over the highway, a motion like that of
a token in a board game, the little purse
moved forward a square at a time as if
making a bid, one toad on offer in exchange
for something of value hidden in weeds
in the opposite ditch. Could be a puddle
of silver, or another few days in this world.
© Ted Kooser
A leather bag of dimes...What an unforgettable image! Hop by hop it goes, putting it all on the line. And who knows what the future holds? The toad is fully in the game, we know that much.
In case Ted Kooser is new to you, you should know that he was named the US Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry in 2004. Many of his poems feature midwestern themes or scenes that leave me nodding my head and smiling. They ring so true. Read more about Ted
here. You can read his Applesauce poem
here.
I am most thankful to Mr. Kooser for sharing his poem with me, and I take it as a gesture of midwestern generosity that he did so. Generosity is one reason why I love the midwest, and why you will find me mentioning it again and again.
Head on over to Carol Varsalona's
Beyond Literacy Link for the Poetry Friday gathering. She's sharing some of her beautiful collection of Nature Nurtures 2020... words to help us all through this unwieldy time. Thanks so much for hosting, Carol!
My best to you all for a good Memorial Day Weekend.
