search articles:     from the issue of April 13, 2006         American Life in Poetry  BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE Poet Ruth L. Schwartz writes of the glimpse of possibility, of something sweeter than we already have that comes to us, grows in us. The unrealizable part of it causes bitterness; the other opens outward, the cycle complete. This is both a poem about a tangerine and about more than that. Tangerine It was a flower once, it was one of a billion flowers whose perfume broke through closed car windows, forced a blessing on their drivers. Then what stayed behind grew swollen, as we do; grew juice instead of tears, and small hard sour seeds, each one bitter, as we are, and filled with possibility. Now a hole opens up in its skin, where it was torn from the branch; ripeness can't stop itself, breathes out; we can't stop it either. We breathe in. From "Dear Good Naked Morning," (c) 2005 by Ruth L. Schwartz. Reprinted by permission of the author and Autumn House Press. First printed in "Crab Orchard Review," Vol. 8, No. 2. This weekly column is supported by The Poetry Foundation, The Library of Congress, and the UNL Department of English. This column does not accept unsolicited poetry. GO TO: ISSUE OF APRIL 13 ARTS HEADLINES FOR APRIL 13 Annual Jazz in June concerts open with Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, Paul Glasse American Life in Poetry Exhibit examines historic costumes Films explore war motivations, repercussions play at the Ross Literary salon on organic farming book is April 20 ON DISPLAY Quilt Center exhibit travels to Kearney STAIRWAY SCULPTURE Three artists featured in final MFA thesis exhibit 732414S35796X