A Poet a Day 21: Todd Boss
Day 21 brings us Todd Boss all the way from the land of a thousand lakes. The poem, “One Can Miss Mountains,” appears in his debut collection, Yellowrocket (© 2008, W. W. Norton & Co.).
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE POEM
Todd is a skilled and gifted practitioner at letting music carry us through a poem without forsaking meaning. Read this one out loud, and keep an eye and ear out for slant rhymes, especially at the end. From there, jump over to Todd’s site for a listen — his delivery adds another layer to the piece.
One Can Miss Mountains
and pine. One
can dismiss
a whisper’s
revelations
and go on as
before as if
everything were
perfectly fine.
One does. One
loses wonder
among stores
of things.
One can even miss
the basso boom
of the ocean’s
rumpus room
and its rhythm.
A man can leave
this earth
and take nothing
— not even
longing — along
with him.
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A Poet a Day is a month-long celebration of poets and poetry, in honor of National Poetry Month. Writers reserve all rights to their work, and all work appears with their permission.
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Tags: A Poet a Day, National Poetry Month, Todd Boss, Todd Boss poetry
