search articles:     from the issue of October 18, 2007         American Life in Poetry  BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE, 2004-2006 It may be that we are most alone when attending funerals, at least that's how it seems to me. By alone I mean that even among throngs of mourners we pull back within ourselves and peer out at life as if through a window. David Baker, an Ohio poet, offers us a picture of a funeral that could be anybody's. Afterwards A short ride in the van, then the eight of us there in the heat--white shirtsleeves sticking, the women's gloves off--fanning our faces. The workers had set up a big blue tent to help us at graveside tolerate the sun, which was brutal all afternoon as if stationed above us, though it moved limb to limb through two huge, covering elms. The long processional of neighbors, friends, the town's elderly, her beauty-shop patrons, her club's notables... The world is full of prayers arrived at from afterwards, he said. Look up through the trees--the hands, the leaves curled as in self-control or quietly hurting, or now open, flat-palmed, many-fine-veined, and whether from heat or sadness, waving. Poem copyright (c) by David Baker, whose most recent book of poetry is "Midwest Eclogue," W. W. Norton, 2006. Reprinted from "Virginia Quarterly Review," Winter, 2004, by permission of David Baker. This column is made possible by the Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org) and supported by the UNL Department of English. This column does not accept unsolicited poetry. GO TO: ISSUE OF OCTOBER 18 ARTS HEADLINES FOR OCTOBER 18 Sheldon marks 'Day of the Dead' Oct. 27 American Life in Poetry CHINESE TREASURE 'Date With a Masterpiece' is Nov. 2 at the Sheldon 'Hairspray' blows into Lied Oct. 27-29 Moon missions documentary opens Oct. 26 Oct. 29 'Solid Blues' features Musselwhite, Staples, Korwn, North Mississippi Allstars Pacifica String Quartet to perform Oct. 21 Shepherd signing Oct. 20 University Singers to perform Oct. 19 in Kimball Hall Yamato drums to play Oct. 24 732967S37483X