From one of my favorite poets, Ted Kooser, from "Delights &Shadows."
Surviving
There are days when the fear of death
is as ubiquitous as light. It illuminates
everything. Without it, I might not
have noticed this ladybird beetle,
bright as a drop of blood
on the window's white sill.
Her head no bigger than a period,
her eyes like needle points,
she has stopped for a moment to rest,
knees locked, wing covers hiding
the delicate lace of her wings.
As the fear of death, so attentive
to everything living, comes near her,
the tiny antennae stop moving.
Pages
Calhouns Can(n)ons
About the Can(n)ons
Calhoun's Can(n)ons was originally published in 1990 in the (now defunct) Morro Bay, CA, Sun Bulletin, and since 1992 has continued in the various resurrections of the Los Osos, CA. Bay News, Bay Breeze, Bay News, Bay News-Tolosa Press. A few years ago, the Can(n)on was added to the Central Coast NewsMission blogsite. Ann Calhoun lives in Los Osos. You can email her at Churadogs at gmail dot com
To be persuasive, we must be believable. To be believable, we must be credible. To be credible, we must be truthful.
Edward R. Murrow
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; the essential is invisible to the eye.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The Little Prince
No one is exempt from talking nonsense; the misfortune is to do it solemnly.
Montaigne
Edward R. Murrow
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; the essential is invisible to the eye.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The Little Prince
No one is exempt from talking nonsense; the misfortune is to do it solemnly.
Montaigne
Followers
Posts
Calhouns Can(n)ons
Search Calhoun's Can(n)ons
CCNM Disclaimer: Calhoun's Can(n)on content copyright wholly owned by Ann Calhoun. Central Coast NewsMission site name and branding images, content and customization copyright © 2005 - 2009. Images courtesy page author, Ann Calhoun, and CCNM editor, Greg McClure; sponsors; and public domain. All writers are responsible for their articles. Permission granted to quote articles herein on a fair use basis, please credit the writer.
4 comments:
Another excellent poem from Ted Kooser. Thanks for picking it out for Memorial Day (when death is certainly on my mind anyway).
Ted; very colloquial and universal. Somewhere in his biography, is noted; “A perfect poet”.
And this is a perfect poem, maybe THE perfect poem. Ladybird beetle’s bright blood, but white is the only stated color. The let blood, and only then the pin point eyes. Certainly the perfect Postcard poem.
But this poem is very personal, maybe more so than for someone who’s first lifeforming external event was being born at the start of the war that ended all wars. It took a while to trace…
“Winter morning walks” published 2000, which you (Chura) selected from before, was about his experience with cancer. Though you explained that on the Blog a while back, I overlooked this in my first search, so ended up at his website which is silent on the subject except for the notes on “publications page”. It is clear that “Delights & Shadows” still carries the Postcard Poems from “Winter morning walks”.
Thanks for sharing Ted with us.
Sparse and richer than a recent brown warhorsian movie.
But if one must have the video to supplant the mind’s eye, Ted reads “Horse”. The first tab top of page, and then on his picture there is a “Play“ button on the webpage…
Horse
In its stall stands the 19th century,
its hide a hot shudder of satin,
head stony and willful,
an eye brown as a river and watchful:
a sentry a long way ahead
of a hard, dirty army of hooves.
Re: The horse poem, I thought about posting that one. It's quite an amazing poem when you think about it.
And, yes, Ted did have a book of poems,"Winter Morning Walks: One Hundred Postcards to Jim Harrison," small haiku-like poems he wrote while taking morning walks while recovering from cancer treatments. They're lovely. And Kooser's an extraordinary poet. (He also wrote a momoir, "Lignts on a ground of Darkness," which is beautiful.
All of his works are available in paperback so I hope you all will go buy some of them. They're worth having and re-reading.
Ted; very colloquial and universal. Somewhere in his biography, is noted; “A perfect poet”. And this is a perfect poem, maybe THE perfect poem. Ladybird beetle’s bright blood, but white is the only stated color. The let blood, and only then the pin point eyes. Certainly the perfect Postcard poem. But this poem is very personal, maybe more so than for someone who’s first lifeforming external event was being born at the start of the war that ended all wars. It took a while to trace… “Winter morning walks” published 2000, which you (Chura) selected from before, was about his experience with cancer. Though you explained that on the Blog a while back , I overlooked this in my first search, so ended up at his website which is silent on the subject except for the notes on “publications page”. It is clear that “Delights & Shadows” still carries the Postcard Poems from “Winter morning walks”. Thanks for sharing Ted with us. Sparse and richer than a recent brown warhorsian movie. But if one must have the video to supplant the mind’s eye, Ted reads “Horse”. The first tab top of page, and then on his picture there is a “Play“ button on the webpage… Horse In its stall stands the 19th century, its hide a hot shudder of satin, head stony and willful, an eye brown as a river and watchful: a sentry a long way ahead of a hard, dirty army of hooves.
Post a Comment