Kooser features the poem “Neighbors” by South Dakota’s poet laureate David Allan Evans.
Ted Kooser was the U. S. poet laureate from 2004 to 2006. His first column, which began his series called American Life in Poetry, features a dour look at a married couple.
Here is Kooser’s introductory comment about the poem: "We all know that the manner in which people behave toward one another can tell us a lot about their private lives. In this amusing poem by David Allan Evans, Poet Laureate of South Dakota, we learn something about a marriage by being shown a couple as they take on an ordinary household task.”
Kooser calls it “amusing,” but is it really?
Neighbors
They live alone
together,
she with her wide hind
and bird face,
he with his hung belly
and crewcut.
To read the entire poem, please visit American Life in Poetry Column 1.
