Saw a really excellent poet tonight. Todd Boss showed up at our tiny school and stood in our tiny room in our tiny library and gave us beautiful words. I rarely have the chance to hear people read their own work and even more rare are the times that I have heard poetry spoken by its author. The poetry, the words themselves, fit together magically but it was Todd that made the experience something I will remember for a long time. As this man with his big smile and nice eyes and wavy, movie-star hair stood behind the podium and began, he radiated a total air of calm. His words were not fast and not slow. His voice danced and smiled along with his words and I couldn’t help but feel his conviction in them. The poems were read or recited at the speed with which one takes a walk on a warm summer day. The sounds twisted and turned and slipped around one another and the result was an amazing performance. B noted that he had a gift and I totally agree. After the reading, B and I got a chance to talk with him for a little bit and it was just really great to have a conversation with someone who has accomplished so much and doesn’t have the stereotypical ego to match. Even though I am in a drum set induced debt and an even bigger college induced debt, I still gladly gave Todd my money in exchange for his words. The collection of his poetry is not large. It’s a first book of poetry from a relatively unknown writer from Minnesota. Yet it only takes a look inside for you to realize that this guy has made some really beautiful things for us. I can’t wait to sit down and live inside his world for a little bit. One of my favorite bits so far:
“…and soft against
the hull of that bent wood almost im-
perceptibly brushes a luscious hush
the heart heeds helplessly…”
From The Hush of the Very Good in his collection yellowrocket
