HUBBLE’S TOP 100 • #3 • Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage
A friend is having knee replacement surgery at the end of this month and I just met up with her for lunch. I loaned her my copies of Winter Morning Walks and Braided Creek as I thought they might make good post-surgery reading, but I had to look through them first. These poems come from Braided Creek, a collection of poems sent back and forth between Ted Kooser and Jim Harrison that began when Kooser was hospitalized. Both poets continued their exchange for ages, making it clear that if the conversation were ever to be published, which it was, any notion of individual authorship should remain a mystery. The book, then, is written by two poets, both at once. Every word is a word written by two hands.
Reading poetry late at night
to try to come back to life.
Almost but not quite.
The hay in the loft
misses the night sky,
so the old roof
leaks a few stars.
Rain clouds gone,
and muddy paw prints
on the moon.
I've never learned from experience.
What else is there? you ask.
How about ninety billion galaxies.
What is it the wind has lost
that she keeps looking for
under each leaf?You told me you couldn't see
a better day coming,
so I gave you my eyes.====
That last bit brought back too vivid memories of sitting vigil with my parents at their ends. Chilling.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I realized that there was a mystery about authorship with this collection, and I rather like it! I hope your friend has an easy replacement surgery and the poetry brings her some comfort in her recovery. I certainly got some comfort this morning from this brief but very deep poem.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely thing to loan a friend! (I have both of these books as well... they are treasures to have in my library!!) And this "conversation" is somehow perfect for this week... a reminder of a community we share, a humanity we share, an earth we share... my thoughts to these words are simply, Amen - so be it. Thank you so much for sharing this today, Bonny!
ReplyDeleteThis is just lovely, Bonny. Do you know that I've never read Braided Creek, although I've heard so many wonderful things about it. I love Ted Kooser's poetry, generally, and I think I need to pick up a copy of Braided Creek tout de suite! It sounds like it might soothe my soul right now . . . as only poetry can. (And what a lovely "share" with your friend.) Thank you.
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