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.
A leather bag of dimes - and a motion like a token.
ReplyDeleteWe only have cane toads here - and I find it hard to like them (introduced - and they are having a terrible impact on Australian native animals) but I do like this little poem. How fortunate you were to be a recipient of Ted Kooser's generosity.
I think the only true description of this post and the experience it relates is JACKPOT. Wow. Your nervy request....and this beautiful, generous response. Karen, my hat is off to you! I think I simply must use this poem as a mentor text just to honor it and to participate in the joy of that leather bag of dimes moving across a game board. Today is a perfect Ted Kooser day.
ReplyDeleteHow very kind of your fellow Nebraskan to share this original poem with you (and us)! A toad on a highway is a risk-taker, treasure-seeker. So accurate: "The toad is fully in the game, we know that much."
ReplyDeleteBest story I've read in a while, Karen. Wow! I love ALL of Ted Kooser's words, read a little of his poems nearly every day. This is so, so special! Kindness is something we all need to notice & to offer ourselves.
ReplyDeleteForgot to say thanks for the Applesauce poem, too. Ah, that apron & the only sailboats. . .
DeleteO.M.G. I LOVE Ted Kooser's poetry! Kudos to you for reaching out, and now, thanks to his response, I love him even more than before. There's something about toads crossing the street that really appeals to me. In this case, the little purse, the board game, the "exchange for something of value." It also reminds me of this poem by Joseph Bruchac, also about the value of toads: https://michellehbarnes.blogspot.com/2017/08/my-summer-with-old-man.html Thank you for sharing Ted Kooser's poem, Karen. I'm so grateful.
ReplyDeleteKaren, what an amazing gift from Ted Kooser your received. I am so glad you asked, received, and shared with us. That is the spirit of generosity all around. As I read the Applesauce poem, I thought how Kooser beautifully elevated the ordinary to share a lovely moment:
ReplyDeleteher kitchen filled with the warm,
wet breath of apples.
That is craft.
Then, I read Toad and fell in love with these lines: This leather bag of dimes goes hop by hop
over the highway.
Enjoy your holiday.
What a wonderful story. So generous of him to offer an unpublished poem!! The leather bag of dimes is perfect. Will never look at toads the same way again.
ReplyDeleteWOW. That's amazing. Poets hardly ever say no, but to say no and then offer you this unique treasure is just incredible. I will never see a toad on the road in the same way.
ReplyDeleteKaren, thank you for sharing the poem and the story behind you being able to share it. Such generosity and I am so glad the poem was able to be shared. "a motion like that of
ReplyDeletea token in a board game" is so clever.
Hmmm. Our trilling Northern Toads have new meaning, perhaps. Lovely poem and generosity. Thank you for sharing this and the backstory. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteWOW! Best story in a long time! Ted Kooser just came up a few more notches in my esteem!! And I love his way of describing toads! Perfect. Lucky you. And good advice to go ahead and ask. Look what could come of gesture of respect.
ReplyDelete