American Life in Poetry’s column 153 features a clever poem focusing on the efficacy of the human body being born with only one heart, while it has two eyes, ears, etc.
U. S. Poet Laureate (2004-2006) Ted Kooser comments on Dugger’s poem: “In this endearing short poem by Californian Trish Dugger, we can imagine ‘what if?’ What if we had been given ‘a baker's dozen of hearts?’ I imagine many more and various love poems would be written. Here Ms. Dugger, Poet Laureate of the City of Encinitas, makes fine use of the one patched but good heart she has.”
“Spare Parts”
The following lines invite you to read the rest of the poem at American Life in Poetry Column 153:
We barge out of the womb
with two of them: eyes, ears,
arms, hands, legs, feet.
Only one heart. Not a good
plan. God should know we
need at least a dozen . . .
*****
