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from the issue of March 8, 2007
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American Life in Poetry
BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE, 2004-2006
Those big cherry flavored wax lips that my friends and I used to buy when I was a boy, well, how could I resist this poem by Cynthia Rylant of Oregon?
Wax Lips
Todd's Hardware was dust
and a monkey -
a real one, on the second floor -
and Mrs. Todd there behind
the glass cases.
We stepped over buckets
of nails and lawnmowers
to get to the candy counter in the back,
and pointed at the red wax lips,
and Mary Janes,
and straws full of purple sugar.
Said goodbye to Mrs. Todd,
she white-faced and silent,
and walked the streets of Beaver,
our teeth sunk hard in the wax,
and big red lips worth kissing.
"Wax Lips" by Cynthia Rylant from "WAITING TO WALTZ." Copyright (c) 2001 by Cynthia Rylant. Reprinted with permission of the author, whose most recent book of poetry is "Ludie's Life," Harcourt, 2006. This weekly column is supported by the UNL Department of English, The Poetry Foundation and The Library of Congress. This column does not accept unsolicited poetry.
GO TO: ISSUE OF MARCH 8
ARTS HEADLINES FOR MARCH 8
Profs aid NET
American Life in Poetry
British quilter to discuss U.K. craft March 19
Great Plains museum offers 'Journey Home' to March 26
Great Plains Quarterly features Plains artists, Treaty Six, Crazy Horse
Kruger offers new miniatures March 19
'Lives of Others,' 'Commune' open March 16
Paddywhack offers Free at 6 performance
Ross event explores German cinema
Scarlet and Cream Singers to open Nebraska tour
Sheldon's 'Room in New York' to go on tour
Steamroller presents 'Fresh Aire' at Lied
TALKING QUILTS
732743S36830X
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