 |
| TED KOOSER |
Be still, my heart. Yes, Ted Kooser, two-time United States poet laureate, of the blue overalls, and brown suede elbow patches on his beige jacket, is holding my poetry collection in his perfect hands, and smiling at me with those mystical blue eyes of his. No, it could not get any better than this. One of the greatest moments of my poetic life. Yes siree, Bob!
AND!, he waited for me, until I was finished with the NPR interview. AND, instead of giving me 15 minutes or so, we sat together and chatted a few hours plus some! AND, I kept saying "Mr. Kooser," and then he said, "Please, I want you to call me 'Ted'." **Swoon** AND, he showed me the green ear plugs in his left front pocket, which he said were dirty. I agreed; then I told him the way to clean them was with a lingerie bag in the washing machine. Rather a blunder. Men like this, hearing the term "lingerie," hesitate to participate in any sort of anything, much less "cleaning," no matter if it involves work ear plugs. However, he'll still get his bag, and if he tries it, he'll see how well the plugs actually do get cleaned. Oh joy. We talked about soldering water heaters, and his home in country land, and what kind of work he performed in the insurance biz, and how much he loves to teach, and he confided a secret about what he'd do if he had to give an interview, which proved to be awfully telling about him. Which I hold close and cannot disclose. But I can tell you he's a giant of a poet, a gentleman in the truest sense, a man of honor and of his word. They do not make men like this very much anymore. I know a blessing when it's bestowed upon me. |
| Cynthia with Ted Kooser |
 |
| Signing a specially-made copy of "Old School Superhero Loves a Good Wristwatch" for Ted Kooser |
 |
| Ted jotting down notes about our conversation with his handsome and utilitarian fountain pen |
 |
| In Heaven, with a man for all seasons, Ted Kooser |
No comments:
Post a Comment