POEM OF THE DAY -- "Tattoo" by U.S. Poet Lauriate Ted Kooser

In addition to being the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006, our Featured Poet this week, Ted Kooser, also won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2005 with his Poetry Work -- "Delights and Shadows". Ted's work is well known for it's clarity and fusing dissimilar objects or concepts - the result is usually something as beautiful as a fresh watercolor. Enjoy Tattoo, one of his more recognizable works!

I highly reccommend clicking on the link below and investing in "Delights and Shadows" - one of his most popular works.

Tattoo

By Ted Kooser

What once was meant to be a statement—
a dripping dagger held in the fist
of a shuddering heart—is now just a bruise
on a bony old shoulder, the spot
where vanity once punched him hard
and the ache lingered on. He looks like
someone you had to reckon with,
strong as a stallion, fast and ornery,
but on this chilly morning, as he walks
between the tables at a yard sale
with the sleeves of his tight black T-shirt
rolled up to show us who he was,
he is only another old man, picking up
broken tools and putting them back,
his heart gone soft and blue with stories.

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