Introduction To Poetry

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.
....

I am a huge fan of Billy Collins. He has a deceptively light touch, a beguiling gentleness that draws you in from splashing in the shallows of the first few lines until you suddenly realise you're in the deep end and you need to keep swimming. This particular poem is a favourite; I had it stuck up beside the poetry section in the old shop and it elicited many a wry chuckle and sage head nod.