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from the issue of July 26, 2007
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American Life in Poetry
BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE, 2004-2006
I'm especially attracted to poems that describe places I might not otherwise visit, in the manner of good travel writing. I'm a dedicated stay-at-home and much prefer to read something fascinating about a place than visit it myself. Here the Hawaii poet, Joseph Stanton, describes a tree that few of us have seen but all of us have eaten from.
Banana Trees
They are tall herbs, really, not trees,
though they can shoot up thirty feet
if all goes well for them. Cut in cross
section they look like gigantic onions,
multi-layered mysteries
with ghostly hearts.
Their leaves are made to be broken
by the wind,
if wind there be, but the crosswise tears
they are built to expect do
them no harm.
Around the steady staff of the leafstalk
the broken fronds flap in the breeze
like brief forgotten flags, but these
tattered, green, photosynthetic
machines
know how to grasp with their
broken fingers
the gold coins of light that give open air
its shine. In hot, dry weather the fingers
fold down to touch on each side -
a kind of prayer to clasp
what damp they can
against the too much light.
Poem copyright (c) 2006 by Joseph Stanton. Reprinted from "A Field Guide to the Wildlife of Suburban O'ahu," Time Being Books, 2006, with permission of the publisher. Introduction copyright (c) 2006 by The Poetry Foundation. 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 JULY 26
ARTS HEADLINES FOR JULY 26
Potter party draws 500
40th Rep season runs through Aug. 5
American Life in Poetry
'American Narratives' exhibit explores artists and their times
AT THE REP
Clay exhibit features UNL student work
Director to attend Ross screenings
Egg artistry contest deadline is Aug. 20
Movies on the Green continue to Aug. 16
'Quilts of the 1930s' on display through Aug. 31
Sheldon Connections 2 opens Aug. 10, features regional artists
Sheldon seeks volunteers for docent program
'Sight and Sound' exhibit explores Asian musical instrument collection
732883S37158X
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