Donald Hall, Poet Laureate

Source: NY Times 5/14 The Arts p.B1 " Outspoken Poet Is Named Laureate" by Dinitia Smith

FM-FM Comment:
Poetry is always present, we just don't notice it. It turns up every day in small ways such as slips of the tongue, being sassy, being cute, writing a thank you note, saying goodbye. It is in the moment. Of course, a poet laureate is a good job to duck. All jobs have some level of expectations. Writing poetry isn't a job, but it is work. So Donald Hall,77, now has a job. Is it advancing the cause of poetry? The public awareness of poetry? Just to be a poet laureate seems enough to me. Our poet laureate sitting on a folding chair on his porch in New Hampshire next to a broom suggests that our new poet laureate is good pick. Not the Today Show (yet), but where he makes poetry. With 18 books of poetry, 20 books of prose and 12 children's books, one could say that he is working at advancing the cause of poetry and increasing the public's awarness of poetry. In fact, I just made a poem while writing this. He is already having an effect.

Corn Cob

The fresh corn snapped from the rigid prideful stalk
It's silky beard shining in the mid-day sun
Quickly changes from gold to bronze to brown
Falling into a bakers dozen bag
Headed for husking, boiling, buttering, and biting
Devoured in seconds, now an empty cob
Waiting to fall into the dark forgotten place
Tossed away from all that was once green, golden, and connected to life.
Done.

You see, for some reason as I was writing a corn cob came to mind.
I thought about aging and toothlessness and 'The End' all in about 30 seconds.
It may have been New Hampshire or Donald Hall's porch..who knows? It just arrived.
So, you see, you can just watch for an image and when it turns up become a poet without the job of being a laureate. Thanks Mr. Hall!