Take this poem

How does she do it? Linda Bierds' best poems about historical figures--inventors, scientists, artists--hold an uncanny sense of discovery and inspiration so strong that I find myself holding my breath while reading. Today's poem takes us back in time to the studio of the brilliant Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini. "Stroke" by Linda Bierds from her book First Hand

A good poet applying his pen and imagination to the inner life of historical figures...this is the human version of catnip for me. In his book A Companion for Owls, Kentucky poet Maurice Manning writes about the frontier life of Daniel and Rebecca Boone. The two poems in this episode are "Born Again" and "A Wife's Tale." Back in episode 17 I shared and discussed "The Pupil" by Maurice Manning

Yes, one of these poems has already been featured on this podcast... but it's absolutely worth hearing again. And this time I got to yak about it a bunch. And read it again. And read a love poem. Enjoy! "What Work Is" by Philip Levine Keith Hansen reads it wonderfully in Episode 63 https://takethispoem.podbean.com/e/episode-63-work-and-what-it-is/ "What I Didn't Know Before" by Ada Limon

I had breath to spare and used it for poetry. And oh man, these are two good ones. "Winter Night" by Tomas Transtromer "Gnosis" by Eireann Lorsung

These poems, like elk, have some muscle and mystery to them. The trio is brought to us by Dave Mehler: "Elk in the Field" by Michael McGriff "Bull Elk in October River" by Chris Dombrowski "Pat Describes an Elk Bugling" by Dave Mehler Dave's poem that he reads was published (along with two others he wrote) in The Red Wheelbarrow Anthology #15 https://redwheelbarrowpoets.org/2022/10/09/the-red-wheelbarrow-15-is-ready-to-order-online/

These two poems by George Bilgere made me snicker. Doesn't eel jerky sound kinda good? I'd try it. "Facetime in Covidtime" "Mystery of Jerky"

I was delighted to receive this recording from a college classmate of yore who has since gone on to become the kind of math professor who starts his classes with passages of TS Eliot. Tom Clark reads and reflects on Scott Cairn's poem "Possible Answers to Prayer".

Dave Mehler-- the local poet and friend I interviewed in episodes 12 and 45-- takes the mic today to read from Chris Dombrowski's book "Ragged Anthem". Dombrowski is a northwesterner, outdoorsman, and teacher as well as poet, and his slim book is one that you might need to add to your library.

I'm back after summer break for a little chat, a promise of what's to come, and of course a poem. By the Well of Living and Seeing, Part II, Section 28: “During the Second World War" by Charles Reznikoff https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/55500/during-the-second-world-war-

"Finding a Teacher" by W.S. Merwin

In this mini episode, my nephew reads a poem he wrote for his baby sister. Buckle your seat belt; it's dangerously adorable!

Apparently I'm not done reading Charles Wright poems to you! I've got a fever and the only cure is another dive into the bright, dark, poetic, folksy, scary, exhilarating pool of his book "Caribou". In this episode I share "Chinoiserie II" "Heaven's Eel" "Life Lines"

Today's episode is dedicated to Keith Hansen, who made an ambivalent comment about this poem that I'm crazy about. I try to explain my enthrallment with this poem and Wright's latest work in general. Was it a success or "a raid on the inarticulate With shabby equipment always deteriorating" ? (T.S. Eliot) Who knows? But it was worth a try.

Sit yourself down at Uncle Keith's knee; he's got some poems to read to you...about fambly.

"But I felt: you are an I, you are an Elizabeth, you are one of them." This poem is a story...in which a hot waiting room and a National Geographic magazine provoke a little girl's painful recognition of herself. "In The Waiting Room" by Elizabeth Bishop

Keith Hansen brings us Denise Levertov's grouping of poems titled "Lake, Mountain, Moon." These are lush, grand, and worth listening to with closed eyes and a still body...if you can pull that off.

You know what's adorable? Hearing your dear ol' college roommate's voice echo in the voices of her two young sons... and to hear those voices saying poems. Lincoln (8) shares a poem by Rosetti, and Will (10) shares a poem of his very own. He said his favorite thing about poetry is that there is a poem for everything... and ain't that the truth. Caterpillar by Christina Rosetti Brown and furry Caterpillar in a hurry, Take your walk To the shady leaf, or stalk, Or what not, Which may be the chosen spot. No toad spy you, Hovering bird of prey pass by you; Spin and die, To live again a butterfly.

I hope my Welsh listeners won't give me too much trouble over the fact that St. David's Day is long past... better late, eh? This is a rich episode from Keith Hansen! He brings us "Miracle On St. David's Day" by Gillian Clarke, which beautifully reflects on the power of memorized poetry. Keith also shares Malcome Guite's remarks on the poem, and throws in Wordsworth's dreamy "Daffodils" as a bonus! ENJOY! Gillian Clarke's Poem https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/miracle-on-st-davids-day/ Wordsworth's poem: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45521/i-wandered-lonely-as-a-cloud

Humans and horses: a mythic combination. These two poems dig around in that a little bit, helping me ponder what people are really talking about when they talk about horses. "Of Unsent Letters, One" by Jill Ossier, from her collection The Solace is Not the Lullaby "A Blessing" by James Wright

You know by now that poets can turn their eyes and pens to the ordinary as well as the sublime... but how many poems have you read about WORK? Keith Hansen brings us three of those today. I'm a little jealous that Keith beat me to sharing "What Work Is" by Philip Levine. That one's a mysterious gem. Clemens Starck "Slab on Grade" Philip Levine "What Work Is" Marge Piercy "To Be Of Use"

I can't believe I didn't share this poem with you last year. Sorry about that! But here it is, before winter officially ends. The link to the audio poetry collection I mention: https://www.powells.com/book/-9780738934433/ And here is a recording of Robert Hayden reading his own poem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmJYs6PQKVc

Do the inscrutable troubles of the future add to your pleasure now? These two poems were on my mind as I revived from the stupor of illness. "True Love" by Sharon Olds "Otherwise" by Jane Kenyon

Keith Hansen is saving Take This Poem's proverbial bacon lately! I haven't been well enough to drag myself to the mic these last few weeks... and yet thanks to Keith here we are with a Valentine's Day treat. He shares three poems about three different chapters of love. "How It Will End" by Denise Duhamel "After the Argument" by Stephen Dunn "The Wild Rose" by Wendell Berry If this episode leaves you hungry for more, you might enjoy revisiting one of these deep cuts: Two Love Poems from the Middle https://takethispoem.podbean.com/e/episode-13-two-love-poems-from-the-middle/ Let's Get Romantic https://takethispoem.podbean.com/e/episode-39-let-s-get-romantic/ Lost Love in Medieval Ireland https://takethispoem.podbean.com/e/episode-7-lost-love-in-medieval-ireland/

Keith Hansen leads us through a closer reading of two rich poems. "The Caged Skylark" by Gerard Manley Hopkins "The Caged Goldfinch" by Thomas Hardy

I met Elizabeth Hance last June in the North Carolina mountains where we both attended a retreat focused on writings of Wendell Berry. She joins me in this episode to share her enthusiasm specifically for his poetry: how it saved her sanity at a crucial time, how it aids her quest for beauty, how it cuts in its gentle but unflinching way. Here is Elizabeth's blog http://www.findingeloquence.com/ And here are the two podcasts she mentions: The Daily Poem https://shows.acast.com/the-daily-poem Close Reads https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-reads/id1191909632

"Epiphany Poem" by George Mackay Brown approaches the story of the three kings in a new and very old way. I heard Heidi White read this poem on The Daily Poem podcast two years ago and it's been in my mulling pot ever since. https://shows.acast.com/the-daily-poem/episodes/george-mackay-browns-epiphany-poem

What was it like to go back to the bleakness of a shepherd's night shift after that one spectacular night when the veil was lifted? This week's poem is "Shepherd's Song" by Richard Baukham

Poetry is so good for mysteries... for wondering about things that lie beyond the scope of arguments and thesis statements. This week's two poems take on a big one. "Annunciation" by John Donne and "Mary's Song" by Luci Shaw.

Cozy up by the tortoise stove for two poems to kick off our advent season! Keith Hansen shares John Betjemen's "Advent 1955" and "Christmas".

Happy Thanksgiving! This week's poem honors the world of the table and the table of the world. It's "Perhaps the World Ends Here" by Joy Harjo.

Keith Hansen is back, this time with a poem by John Betjeman: "In Westminster Abbey". It has a spirited rhyme scheme & meter, and a good dash of satire & snark. Enjoy!

This episode includes a poem about preferring pencils to pens, a poem about two people who never meet, and a poem about writing a poem. There's nothing too small or obscure to be pondered in poetry... and in the jeweler's glass of the poem small things aren't so small after all. "The Pencil" by AE Stallings https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/03/pencil/513860/ "On The Way to Work" by Stephen Dunn https://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php%3Fdate=2004%252F06%252F24.html "Who" by Jane Kenyon

It's as simple as it sounds. I read three small but substantial poems by Jane Kenyon.

Linda Bierds writes poems thick with beautiful language, historical drama, and an uncanny sense of discovery. In today's poem, "Klipsan Stallions," she applies her genius to a true story of a shipwreck and the horses who swam out to save sailors' lives.

Keith Hansen brings us two poems by North Dakota's poet laureate Larry Woiwode. It's hard to top trees and horses among nature's beauties...this will be ten minutes well spent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Woiwode

"After Apple Picking" by Robert Frost is a dreamy, drowsy autumn poem that retains its fresh mysteriousness through many readings and many, many years. You can find the poem here if you'd like to read it for yourself: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44259/after-apple-picking

Another conversation with local poet Dave Mehler, another record set for longest episode! This time I have a chance to pelt Dave with questions about reading & writing, to hear his story of being a truck driver poet, and to hear him read from his book Roadworthy. Grab some whittling or knitting and enjoy: this is a sweeping episode that includes some good poems and leisurely conversation. I edited this one all by myself, so if the volume levels are eclectic don't blame Ben. Check out Dave's book here: https://bookshop.org/books?keywords=Roadworthy

"They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here—" I humbly exhort you to take one of these poems and carry around in your heart's pocket this fall. "Something Told the Wild Geese" by Rachel Fields "The Morns Are Meeker Than They Were" by Emily Dickinson "When the Frost is on the Punkin" by James Whitcomb Riley

In the course of a week I received two poetry gifts from friends afar. And not just plain poems-- poems with reflections! My catnip. I decided to put the poems together and make it a party. Tom Clark reads "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks and Melinda Westervelt reads "A Little Lesson in How To Be" by Kathryn Nuernberger. Brooks is a jewel in American poetry, and the ending of Nuernberger's poem gave me goosebumps. ENJOY!

You're in for a treat! In this episode Keith Hansen offers an autumnal poem by John Keats. My mind seemed to pick up very little listening to the first reading of the poem, but mental pathways must have been etched...on my second hearing, understanding and enjoyment of the poem flooded in. A fascinating experience. Thank you, Keith, for sharing your thoughts on this exquisite poem!

Can't get enough of the agitation, perturbation, and talking worms in this most wonderful early autumn poem.

Story time! I read poet Denise Duhamel's tale of a poem that ambushed her, dwelt with her, was stolen, and... you'll see. The poem is "Modifications" by Ron Koertge and I read from the anthology Dark Horses: Poets on Overlooked Poems.

Do you remember reading the Romantics in high school English class? My friend Carrie Adams joins me to read poems by Wordsworth, Byron, and Keats and to talk a bit about her experience teaching these poems to teenagers. Spoiler alert: old-fashioned Romantic ideas endure in the zeitgeist today... we just don't speak of them as prettily any more.

I find what it's like on the other side of the mic as a guest host steps in to conduct the interview. Although I have misgivings about the title "poet" as applied to me, I couldn't resist Keith Hansen's offer to narrate two of my poems for the podcast. So this turned out to be quite a collaborative episode. Here is the Radiolab episode that inspired my poems https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/segments/121385-bus-nowhere Here's issue #25 of Triggerfish Critical Review https://triggerfishcriticalreview.com/issue-25/

My son Luke joins me at the mic to read a poem that he wrote this year. He shares a little about his writing process, and I just generally enjoy having a mini poetry chat with him.

As I gather new poems for my students to memorize I enjoy looking through the stack of review poems from yesteryear. I also love the word yesteryear. In this episode I choose three favorites from our review pile. And as a special bonus we'll hear two pint-sized listeners share poems from their own little memories! Here is the poem that 3-year-old Judah says. Singing-Time By Rose Fyleman I wake in the morning early And always, the very first thing, I poke out my head and I sit up in bed And I sing and I sing and I sing.

My friend Amy gives us all a gift in this episode: an introduction to Ruth Pitter. Pitter was a poet and artist who lived for almost 100 years and corresponded by letters with many of her century's literary luminaries. (Hilaire Belloc, John Masefield, and Walter de la Mare are three of her pen pals whose poetry has appeared on this podcast so far!) She and C.S. Lewis had a friendship of deep mutual admiration and respect for each others' work. Most importantly for our context, she wrote wise, beautiful poetry at a time that the world was reeling from war and meaning was sometimes difficult to find. Amy introduces her eloquently and reads many of her poems, so I'll let her take it away. Amy's email address [email protected]

Here's a small but juicy Emily Dickinson poem for you. Why aren't there more poems about swimming? If you know of a good one, please let me know.

This episode is for the long commutes or jumbo laundry piles! Artist, poet, and friend Craig Goodworth joined me at my table to talk about art&theology, beauty, the joys&challenges of in-person poetry, reading The Odyssey to kids, and the fact that some days you see a deer and some days you don't. With lots in between. There are some good poems in this one! I like that the mic picked up the clinking of ice in our glasses. We had fun chatting and sharing poems, and I hope you have a little fun listening. http://craiggoodworthart.squarespace.com/

When my friend and listener Kelly has time home alone she does wild things like sending poems to me. And I couldn't be happier. In this episode I pair her poem "To Molly" with Kay Ryan's poem "Masterworks of Ming". Kelly's musings on writing can be found at writing-life.blog