Poem says much in few words
Editor’s note: To increase the public’s understanding of and appreciation for poetry, U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser has started this weekly newspaper column. Each week, Kooser will offer a poem by a contemporary American poet along with a brief introduction. Starting today his column will appear in Sunday’s IN Life section.
A poem need not go on at great length to accomplish the work of conveying something meaningful to its readers. In the following poem by the late Marnie Walsh, just a few words – written as if they’d been recorded in exactly the manner in which they’d been spoken – tell us not only about the missing woman in the red high heels, but a little something about the speaker as well.
Bessie Dreaming Bear
Rosebud, So. Dak., 1960
we all went to town one day
went to a store
bought you new shoes
red high heels
ain’t seen you since.