Shows
Take this poem(Archive) Episode 54: Less Fretting, More FeastingWhen Love has you over for dinner, just sit down and hush! And eat.
Today's poem is "Love III" by George Herbert. What a pleasure to read; I had to stop myself at twice.
2025-07-2111 minTake this poemEpisode 116: Look Upon the Ground With Listening Eyes-- Poems by Marie BurdettMarie Burdett reads five of her wonderful poems for the TTP audience. This just might be the best 8 minutes of your day!
They are: "Hindsight," "The Gravedigger," "The Gardener's Prayer," "Bluebell Valley," and "Mountain Fog."
If you want to re-listen, Marie's reading begins at 5:40.
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If you'd like to see more of what Marie is up to, here are links to some of her work and accomplishments!
Her Instagram https://www.instagram.com/marieburdettpoet/
A poem in Light Verse: https://lightpoetrymagazine.com/marie-burdett-winter-25/
A poem in Lucky Jefferson: https://lucky...2025-06-2613 minTake this poem(Archive) Episode 15: What Does a Six Year Old Love?Another one I'm dusting off for young listeners. Enjoy!
Eleanor finally entered the Closet Of Poetry with me and shared a few of her favorites. All the poems she says in this episode are from memory, which helps explain the adorable botched limerick she busts out with at the end. Get the kids gathered 'round for this one!
2025-06-1307 minTake this poem(Archive) Episode 6: "If it ain't a pleasure it ain't a poem" Animal PoetryI wanted to re-release this old episode for any new young listeners. It's one of my favorites. The nine-year-old interviewed here is now taller than I am. 2025-06-0906 minTake this poem(Archive) Episode 1: Let Evening ComeHow it all began. This is the first and most downloaded recording of TTP.
This pilot episode includes stories of how "Let Evening Come" by Jane Kenyon has been passed around like a gift in my life and how the poem derives its simplicity and rootedness from material nouns that have been in our language from the very beginning.
Collected Poems of Jane Kenyon
2025-06-0408 minTake this poemEpisode 115: Hard Hopes for a Young WriterAs my end-of-school-year poem I bring you "The Writer" by Richard Wilbur
2025-06-0211 minTake this poemEpisode 114: Manual LaborI have a thing for poems about work. Poets seem to have a thing for writing about work. I share that thing with you. In Episode 63, Episode 80, and today.
"Digging" by Seamus Heaney
"Labor" by Jericho Brown
2025-03-0719 minTake this poemEpisode 113: Batter My Heart, Three-Person'd God, For YouA poem that peers into the wrestling of a conflicted human heart.
Holy Sonnet XIV by John Donne.
2025-03-0510 minTake this poemEpisode 112: If Ever We See Those Gardens Again, The Summer Will Be GoneNothing ends more endingly than a "summer" together.
"Lost Garden" by Dana Gioia
2025-02-2809 minTake this poemEpisode 111: Rain Poems to Say to a ChildEven if that child is just yourself.
"Rain" by Robert Lewis Stevenson
"Drippy Weather" by Aileen Fisher
"Spring Rain" by Marchette Chute
I first encountered these in Poems to Read to the Very Young edited by Josette Frank, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin
Bonus: "April Rain Song" by Langston Hughes
2025-02-2509 minTake this poemEpisode 110: Oregon WinterI give you a poem I recently received: "Oregon Winter" by Jeanne McGahey. From the collection Winter Poems selected by Barbara Rogasky
2025-02-2407 minTake this poemEpisode 109: Death, Be Not ProudTake This Poem wakes up from a nap long enough to share "Holy Sonnet X" by John Donne. When despair and triumph live side by side in 14 lines, heat ensues, as well as iridescence.
2024-11-1119 minTake this poemEpisode 108: "Brother" by Keith HansenThis one is not just read but also written by Keith Hansen...a reflection on a fraternal tussle that has now come to an end.
2024-07-1608 minTake this poemEpisode 107: The Ballad of Orange and GrapeI hope you'll listen to Muriel Rukeyser read her own poem! It's weird, funny, scary, true.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN-NaxSRN4E
2024-07-1112 minTake this poemEpisode 106: Bearing Witness, Making ConfessionIn this episode I read three poems from The Art of Losing, an anthology edited by Kevin Young.
"The Wake" by Rita Dove
"The Shout" by Simon Armitage
"Remember Me" by Hal Sirowitz
2024-07-0809 minTake this poemEpisode 105: Michael Chitwood "Search and Rescue"Keith Hansen brings us five poems from Michael Chitwood, whose work explores the Appalachian landscape of his youth.
"Want"
"Catalytic Converter"
"Chicken"
"Lakeside"
"Search and Rescue"
2024-04-0821 minTake this poemEpisode 104: "You are not alone", the poem said, in the dark tunnel.I wrestled with this poem for a long time. I thought I would run out of winter before I was satisfied with a recording.
But then it snowed here these last couple days, and it encouraged me to fix up the most recent attempt and just get it out to you.
Here you go: "October" by Louise Gluck.
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I heard Gluck read this poem at the end of this interview:
https://yalepodcasts.blubrry.net/2021/03/09/nobel-laureate-louise-gluck-on-teaching-and-poetry/
It's the last ten minutes. However, the whole thing is exc...2024-03-0314 minTake this poemEpisode 103: The Risk of BirthHappy New Year! I'm re-gifting this poem.
Thank you for bringing it to my attention, Anna!
"The Risk of Birth, Christmas 1973" by Madeline L'Engle
2024-01-0307 minTake this poemEpisode 102: ”I stare and stare. It seems I was called for this...”Keith Hansen brings us poems by two Polish poets who lived upfront with human suffering and political upheaval. What will their poetic "stare" find to praise?
Adam Zagajewski's "Try to Praise the Mutilated World" and "Boogie-Woogie"
Czeslaw Milosz's "The Blacksmith Shop"
2023-12-0616 minTake this poemEpisode 101: The Second Half of a Chocolate CakeI haven't finished part one to my satisfaction, but I'll serve you part two anyway. Rather like having dessert first, which I hear is possible if you're feeling unruly.
"In Memoriam A. H. H. OBIIT MDCCCXXXIII:54"
"In Memoriam A. H. H. OBIIT MDCCCXXXIII:55"
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
2023-11-2115 minTake this poemEpisode 100!!!100 Episodes! We've been through a lot together.
To celebrate, I compiled some audio mail I've received into another poetry reading episode. If you enjoy it, send me a poem why dontcha!
Pamela reads "Crooked" by G.K. Chesterton
Carrie reads "She Walks in Beauty" by Lord Byron
Melinda reads "Doors opening, closing on us" by Marge Piercy
Thank you to all who have listened and contributed to this poetry endeavor!
2023-11-0807 minTake this poemEpisode 99: PoemDoes this poem stir around in your heart and mind a little bit?
Keith Hansen brings "Poem" by North Dakota poet and screenwriter Thomas McGrath.
2023-11-0206 minTake this poemEpisode 98: Two Poems About MarriageThe other Giudice takes the mic again! 2023-10-2417 minTake this poemEpisode 97: Not I, Not I, But The Wind That Blows Through Me!Another Lawrence poem! Unfortunately, there's no fruit-throwing in this one. But there is ecstatic inspiration, a creepy knock on the door, and angels. So that's pretty good.
"Song of a Man Who Has Come Through" by D.H. Lawrence
The "Word on Fire" podcast episode that I mention:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wof-392-poetry-beauty-and-the-shock-of-grace-w/id1065019039?i=1000618329473
2023-10-1913 minTake this poemEpisode 96: Here, Take All That’s Left of My PeachI bring you "Peach" by D.H. Lawrence. This guy gets it.
2023-10-1605 minTake this poemEpisode 95: Two Poems for Our Current PredicamentA super special guest--Ben Giudice--brings us two poems that run headlong into the human task of reconciling bad and good, despair and hope.
"As the World Population Surpasses 8 Billion, I Purposely Misremember a Line from Anne Carson's Sappho and Hear in Its Utterance the Song of the Humpback Whale" by Dante Di Stephano
"Good Bones" by Maggie Smith
2023-09-2108 minTake this poemEpisode 94: Eternity by Jason ShinderTwo minds--divided by millennia--come together in the spaces between words...
Or, if that sounds too cosmic and far-fetched, you can call it by its other name: "reading a poem in the kitchen".
2023-09-1811 minTake this poemEpisode 93: HairToday's two poems--brought to us by Keith Hansen--take us to the beauty salon and the barber chair. Are these places ordinary or sacred? Maybe we don't have to choose.
"Wayne's College of Beauty, Santa Cruz" by David Swanger
"Hair" by BH Fairchild
2023-09-0524 minTake this poemEpisode 92: Summer, It’s Getting LateWhy is late summer such a gut-puncher? If anyone can get at the heart of this mystery, it's these two:
"Summer Has Two Beginnings" by Emily Dickinson
"Three Songs at the End of Summer" by Jane Kenyon
2023-08-2521 minTake this poemEpisode 91: Going bye-byeLate summer is peak bye-bye season! These three poems fit perfectly in your suitcase or moving box.
"The Summer Camp Bus Pulls Away From the Curb" by Sharon Olds
"Leaving Town" by Jane Kenyon
[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in] by ee cummings
2023-08-1825 minTake this poemEpisode 90: Don Thompson: Poems From a Dry ValleyListen to what can happen when a poet keeps a sustained gaze on the desolate place that has always been his home.
Keith Hansen comes back to the mic to read six poems by Don Thompson.
"Flat Earth"
"Water"
"Egret I"
"Buena Vista Slough II"
"October"
"December"
2023-08-1411 minTake this poemEpisode 89: Three BlackberriesPart 3 of the summer poems series is JUICY!
"Blackberry-Picking" by Seamus Heaney
"An Invitation" by Clemens Starck
"Meditation at Lagunitas" by Robert Hass
2023-08-0916 minTake this poemEpisode 88: Summer in the GardenHere's part 2 of the "summer poems" series! This one's for you, Farmer Ben.
"Putting in the Seed" by Robert Frost
"Cutting the Grass" by Clemens Starck
"In Defense of Our Overgrown Garden" by Matthea Harvey
2023-08-0417 minTake this poemEpisode 87: Summer MoodsIt's AUGUST!
I had a request for some summer poems and got a little carried away. I hope you like sunshine, blackberries, nostalgia, and love, because this is just the beginning of a 4 part summer poem series.
We kick off with
"Summer Moods" by John Clare
"The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver
"Mossbawn: Sunlight" by Seamus Heaney
"Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy's Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota" by James Wright
2023-08-0127 minTake this poemEpisode 86: Four Walls and a Blackboard3 school poems to kick off summer break!
"Night" by Jill Osier
"M. Degas Teaches Art & Science at Durfee Intermediate School" by Philip Levine
"Mrs. Smith 1959" by Kim Stafford
2023-06-0525 minTake this poemEpisode 85: Every Time I Say ”I” It Refers To YouA snowy night, phone calls from beyond the grave... this poem has a lot to recommend it.
"Visitors From Abroad" by Louise GlÜck
2023-03-2017 minTake this poemEpisode 84: Prose Poems From The GardenLet me read to you-- a handful of poems that take us through the year of a gardener/prose poet who is paying attention.
The book I read from is Going to Seed: Dispatches From the Garden by Charles Goodrich
2023-03-1714 minTake this poemEpisode 83: ”I’ve Been Sitting Here Thinking Back Over My Life”Sometimes I take on the humbling challenge of talking about a poem that enthralls me but I don't fully understand it, and some of what I understand I don't like, and I can't talk about it without talking about myself...
Those episodes often end up in the burn pile, but this time I offer it to you.
"I've Been Sitting Here Thinking Back Over My Life" by Charles Wright
2023-01-1815 minTake this poemEpisode 82: Bernini’s BeesHow 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
2023-01-1118 minTake this poemEpisode 81: Daniel Boone And His Wife RebeccaA 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
2023-01-0423 minTake this poemEpisode 80: Love and Work and LoveYes, 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
2022-12-2920 minTake this poemEpisode 79: Two Winter NightsI 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
2022-12-2627 minTake this poemEpisode 78: Elk: Three Poems from Dave MehlerThese 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/
2022-10-1115 minTake this poemEpisode 77: Eels and JerkyThese 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"
2022-10-0407 minTake this poemEpisode 76: Tom Clark reads Scott CairnsI 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".
2022-09-1307 minTake this poemEpisode 75: Dave Mehler reads Chris DombrowskiDave 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.
2022-09-0628 minTake this poemEpisode 74: What Did I Miss?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-
2022-09-0508 minTake this poemEpisode 73: Teacher, Fisher, King"Finding a Teacher" by W.S. Merwin
2022-07-1211 minTake this poemEpisode 72: Bonus! ”The Smile”In this mini episode, my nephew reads a poem he wrote for his baby sister. Buckle your seat belt; it's dangerously adorable!
2022-07-0503 minTake this poemEpisode 71: Three More by Charles WrightApparently 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"
2022-07-0525 minTake this poemEpisode 70: ”History is a Burning Chariot” by Charles WrightToday'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.
2022-06-0725 minTake this poemEpisode 69: Four Poems About Family by George BilgereSit yourself down at Uncle Keith's knee; he's got some poems to read to you...about fambly.
2022-05-3108 minTake this poemEpisode 68: In the Waiting Room"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
2022-05-2407 minTake this poemEpisode 67: Lake, Mountain, MoonKeith 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.
2022-05-0313 minTake this poemEpisode 66: Caterpillars & GeckosYou 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...2022-04-1902 minTake this poemEpisode 65: ”Miracle On St. David’s Day”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/po...2022-04-1214 minTake this poemEpisode 64: Do Horses Love Us?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
2022-04-0516 minTake this poemEpisode 63: Work, And What It IsYou 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"
2022-03-2209 minTake this poemEpisode 62: ”Those Winter Sundays” by Robert HaydenI 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
2022-03-0815 minTake this poemEpisode 61: It Could Be OtherwiseDo 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
2022-02-2212 minTake this poemEpisode 60: Happy Valentine’s DayKeith 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 Po...2022-02-1410 minTake this poemEpisode 59: Two Caged BirdsKeith Hansen leads us through a closer reading of two rich poems.
"The Caged Skylark" by Gerard Manley Hopkins
"The Caged Goldfinch" by Thomas Hardy
2022-01-2421 minTake this poemEpisode 58: A Conversation: Wendell Berry’s Gentle AxeI 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://pod...2022-01-1136 minTake this poemEpisode 57: Epiphany "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
2021-12-2811 minTake this poemEpisode 56: Shepherd‘s SongWhat 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
2021-12-2108 minTake this poemEpisode 55: Two Poems on the IncarnationPoetry 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.
2021-12-1409 minTake this poemEpisode 53: Advent Darkness and LightCozy up by the tortoise stove for two poems to kick off our advent season! Keith Hansen shares John Betjemen's "Advent 1955" and "Christmas".
2021-11-3019 minTake this poemEpisode 52: ”Perhaps the World Ends Here”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.
2021-11-2311 minTake this poemEpisode 51: ”In Westminster Abbey”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!
2021-11-1617 minTake this poemEpisode 50: There‘s a Poem About ThatThis 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
2021-11-0912 minTake this poemEpisode 49: Three by Jane KenyonIt's as simple as it sounds. I read three small but substantial poems by Jane Kenyon.
2021-11-0206 minTake this poemEpisode 48: ”Klipsan Stallions”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.
2021-10-2616 minTake this poemEpisode 47: Larry Woiwode‘s ”Venerable Elm” and ”Horses”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
2021-10-1911 minTake this poemEpisode 46: But I Am Done With Apple Picking Now"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
2021-10-1212 minTake this poemEpisode 45: God, Truck, Nature: Interview With Dave MehlerAnother 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://boo...2021-10-051h 18Take this poemEpisode 44: Autumn Poetry to Memorize: Bonus Episode!"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 2021-10-0506 minTake this poemEpisode 43: Mail from the MidwestIn 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!
2021-09-2807 minTake this poemEpisode 42: ”To Autumn”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!
2021-09-2110 minTake this poemEpisode 41: End of SummerCan't get enough of the agitation, perturbation, and talking worms in this most wonderful early autumn poem.
2021-09-1407 minTake this poemEpisode 40: A Poem Found, Lost, and FoundStory 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.
2021-09-0712 minTake this poemEpisode 39: Let‘s Get RomanticDo 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.
2021-08-3118 minTake this poemEpisode 38: The Tables Have TurnedI 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...2021-08-2418 minTake this poemEpisode 37: "The Toll of Time"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.
2021-08-1708 minTake this poemEpisode 36: Poems For Little Ones To MemorizeAs 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...2021-08-1408 minTake this poemEpisode 35: Take this Poet (Ruth Pitter)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...2021-08-1035 minTake this poemEpisode 34: Exultation Is The GoingHere'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.
2021-08-0407 minTake this poemEpisode 33: Interview with Craig GoodworthThis 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...2021-07-271h 04Take this poemEpisode 32: "For Molly"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
2021-07-2406 minTake this poemEpisode 31: I Come Home Wanting to Touch EveryoneStephen Dunn, again, because I had this poem stuck in my head when I returned from a trip in June.
2021-07-1307 minTake this poemEpisode 30: Thank you, ThomaidaIf you're going to spontaneously read a poem to a room full of people, Billy Collins is often a good choice. And if the room full of people is about to disperse to travel in 23 directions "Passengers" makes an excellent selection. Thank you to my new friend Thomaida for demonstrating this in real life!
2021-07-0609 minTake this poemEpisode 29: What the Living DoAfter the death of a friend, it's the living ones who stagger around--dealing with plumbing problems, eating pie, and trying to make sense of it all. Here are two poems about that.
"What the Living Do" by Marie Howe
"Ray" by Hayden Carruth
Hayden Carruth reads "Ray"
2021-06-2914 minTake this poemEpisode 28: StrawberryingFor this week a sweet, red June poem: "Strawberrying"by May Swenson. I love this poem and marvel how Swenson captures the fleshy, violent abundance of nature with a tone of matter-of-factness and restraint.
2021-06-2211 minTake this poemEpisode 27: Broken SeashellI pair a listener's poem "Broken Seashell" with Grace Shulman's "Because" and see what the two poems say together about the material world's brokenness and beauty.
Kaitlin Wachter can be reached by email at Kaitlin.a.wachter@gmail.com and you can find more of her poetry on Instagram @songsinthekeyofk
2021-06-1509 minTake this poemEpisode 26: What's Left UnsaidSome things, in love, can't be put into words. In this episode, I share two poems written decades apart by Stephen Dunn that explore this concept.
2021-06-0806 minTake this poemEpisode 25: The Star MarketThe power of Marie Howe's empathetic imagination flames out in this poem about a simple trip to the grocery store.
2021-06-0106 minTake this poemEpisode 24: The OrdinaryGeorge Bilgere's work explores the quotidian and what is poetic, sad, and beautiful there. In this episode Keith Hansen reads three of Bilgere's poems: "Horseplay", "The Table", and "Strawberries". I think you'll find something to love here.
I quote this video of Bilgere speaking about his poetry.
https://vimeo.com/94205250
2021-05-2512 minTake this poemEpisode 23: Sea FeverMay I humbly suggest that you take this poem--"Sea Fever" by John Masefield--and memorize it? You won't regret it.
2021-05-1810 minTake this poemEpisode 22: "Forgetfulness" by Billy CollinsMy friend Anna and I discuss and enjoy a poem that ambushed her.
2021-05-1111 minTake this poemEpisode 21: Poetry TransplantedWhat is lost and what is gained when poetry moves from one language to another? I briefly ponder this question and share three translations of Anna Akhmatova's poem "Heart's Memory of Sun Grows Fainter".
2021-05-0511 minTake this poemEpisode 20: Good MailIn this episode I share two highlights from the mailbag this week.
Tom Clark reads from Paige Lewis' collection Space Struck.
2021-04-2708 min