Martha shares a favorite poem, “The Bagel,” by David Ignatow. Who wouldn’t like to feel “strangely happy with myself”? This and other gems can be found in Billy Collins’ book Poetry 180. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “The Bagel”
Grant, here’s another poem I think you’ll enjoy.
It’s by David Ignato, and it’s called The Bagel.
I stopped to pick up the bagel rolling away in the wind,
Annoyed with myself for having dropped it as if it were a portent.
Faster and faster it rolled, with me running after it, bent low, gritting my teeth,
And I found myself doubled over and rolling down the street, head over heels, one complete somersault after another like a bagel, and strangely happy with myself.
That’s nice.
I like it.
That’s great.
Who’s the author of that?
David Ignato.
And this is, again, in Billy Collins’ book, Poetry 180.
I want a bagel now.
No, you’re supposed to talk about the imagery.
It reminded me of climbing into an old tire as a boy and rolling down hills.
Did you ever do that?
Not as a boy, no, but I did that.
We did it with big tractor tires and automobile tires.
When you’re five or six, you can fit nicely into an automobile tire until you fall into the ditch.
