What Can I Say? She Appreciates Poetry.

Sometimes in the morning, on the way to drop the girls off at preschool, we listen to NPR. We can usually catch The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor. Not only do I love this man's voice, but the facts and the selected poem are typically thought-provoking--at a minimum, interesting.

Last week the selected poem was "i like my body" by E. E. Cummings:

i like my body when it is with your
body. It is so quite a new thing.
Muscles better and nerves more.
i like your body. i like what it does,
i like its hows. i like to feel the spine
of your body and its bones, and the trembling
-firm-smooth ness and which I will
again and again and again
kiss, i like kissing this and that of you,
i like, slowly stroking the, shocking fuzz
of your electric fur, and what-is-it comes
over parting flesh...And eyes big love-crumbs,

and possibly i like the thrill
of under me you quite so new

As I was listening, I thought, "Well this is a bit provocative... I wonder if the girls are even paying attention..." Then, when Mr. Keillor finished the poem and closed out the segment, Geneva reported (loudly) from the backseat: "That was a GREAT story Mom!" I just smiled and agreed.