Gratitudes: The Gift of Poetry

Over the past couple years, I've spent some time working for Ted Kooser and seeking out poems for his weekly newspaper column, American Life in Poetry. Here in Nebraska, Ted is a celebrity: the first Midwestern poet ever to be honored with the title of U.S. Poet Laureate. He's also just a sweet, funny, caring, down-to-earth guy. S and I were so honored when he accepted our wedding invitation and showed up for our party--dressed to a tee with a finely patterned bowtie, no less! His gift to us? An anthology of love poems, of course.

A couple of weeks ago the ALP column had this most wonderful poem by Veronica Patterson (for more on what a senryu is click here) and I can't help but share:


Marry Me
a senryu sequence

when I come late to bed
I move your leg flung over my side
that warm gate

nights you're not here
I inch toward the middle
of this boat, balancing

when I turn over in sleep
you turn, I turn, you turn,
I turn, you

some nights you tug the edge
of my pillow under your cheek,
look in my dream

pulling the white sheet
over your bare shoulder
I marry you again


How perfect would this be for a ceremony--whether your wedding day or a vow renewal? We've only been married for a couple months now and already I got misty!

For weddings I also recommend checking out Ted's book of Valentines. For over a decade, he's been writing these sweet love poems and sending them out on a postcard to all his favorite people. Let me tell you, it's quite the feeling to find one of those in your mailbox!

(Photo by Allison Garrett.)