In this Book
- Practicing to Walk Like a Heron
- Book
- 2013
- Published by: Wayne State University Press
- Series: Made in Michigan Writers Series
summary
In Practicing to Walk Like a Heron multiple-award-winning Michigan poet Jack Ridl shares lines of well-earned wisdom in the face of a constantly changing world. The familiar comforts of life-a warm fire in winter, a lush garden in summer-become the settings for transcendent and universal truths in these poems, as moments of grief, sadness, and melancholy trigger a deeper appreciation for small but important joys. The simple clarity of Ridl's lines and diction make the poems accessible to all readers, but especially rewarding for those who appreciate carefully honed, masterful verse.
Many of the poems take solace in nature-quiet deer outside in the woods, deep snow, a thrush's empty nest in the eaves-as well as man-made things in the world-a steamer trunk, glass jars, tea cups, and books piled high near an easy chair. Yet Ridl avoids becoming nostalgic or romantic in his surroundings, and shows that there is nothing easy in his celebration of topics like "The Letters," "But He Loved His Dog," "A Christmas List for Santa," and "The Enormous Mystery of Couples." An interlude of full-color pages divides Ridl's more personal poems with a section of circus-themed pieces, adding visions of elephants, trumpets, tents, sequins, and sideshows, and the uniquely travel-weary perspectives of jugglers, trapeze artists, roustabouts, and clowns.
Practicing to Walk Like a Heron unabashedly affirms the quirky and eccentric, the small and mundane, and the intellectual and experiential in life. This relatable and emotionally powerful volume will appeal to all poetry readers.
Table of Contents
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- Half-title
- pp. ii-iii
- Dedication
- pp. vi-vii
- Acknowledgments
- pp. xii-xiii
- 1. From Our House to Your House
- From Our House to Your House
- pp. 6-7
- Easter, 1948
- pp. 9-10
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- pp. 13-14
- My Father Was in Love with Peggy Lee
- pp. 15-16
- Open to the Psalms
- p. 17
- It Wasn’t Folklore
- p. 19
- A New Beginning
- pp. 25-26
- The Letters
- pp. 27-28
- Fractals: A Nocturne
- p. 29
- Searching Again for My Father
- pp. 30-32
- 2. The Enormous Mystery of Couples
- Suite For the Turning Year
- pp. 35-39
- On Going with My Wife to Her Doctor
- pp. 40-41
- The Enormous Mystery of Couples
- pp. 42-43
- Theme and Variations
- pp. 44-45
- Oh I Suppose
- p. 46
- Here in the Time Between
- pp. 47-48
- Morning Rounds
- pp. 54-55
- The Neighbors
- pp. 57-58
- Mid-October Morning
- p. 62
- Ron Howard’s on the Cover of AARP
- pp. 63-64
- Take Love for Granted
- pp. 65-66
- My Wife Has Sent Me an Email
- pp. 67-68
- Speaking Objectively in Winter
- pp. 70-71
- Raking the Duck Weed
- p. 72
- Putting Away the Santas
- pp. 73-74
- The End of This Year
- p. 76
- Interlude: “Hey Skinny, the Circus Is in Town!”
- Circus: Late Summer
- pp. 83-84
- Outside the Center Ring
- pp. 85-86
- After the Lion Tamer
- pp. 88-89
- The Death of the Queen of the Air
- pp. 96-97
- Circus Cook
- pp. 98-100
- The End of the Fat Lady
- pp. 101-102
- Death in the Dog Act
- p. 103
- The Children of the Lion Tamer
- pp. 104-105
- Roustabout
- pp. 106-107
- The Balloon Man
- pp. 110-111
- Night on the Circus Lot
- pp. 112-113
- Winter Quarters
- pp. 114-116
- 3. The Hidden Permutations of Sorrow
- The Man Who Loved Mulch
- pp. 126-127
- A Man I Know
- p. 129
- “Moose. Indian.”
- p. 130
- Another Puppet Show
- pp. 137-140
- The Reunion
- p. 141
- The Artist to the Canvas
- p. 143
- But He Loved His Dog
- pp. 145-146
- The Yearling with the Broken Leg
- pp. 148-149
- Another Day in Your Life
- p. 150
- The Knitters
- p. 151
- Drinking Black Tea Early in the Morning
- pp. 152-153
- A Generous Welcome
- p. 155
- Back Cover
- p. bc
Additional Information
ISBN
9780814335390
Related ISBN(s)
9780814334539
MARC Record
OCLC
847609671
Pages
176
Launched on MUSE
2013-05-20
Language
English
Open Access
No