Poems to Listen By: Moonstruck 03—A Pause in the Sky

Editor’s Note: “Poems to Listen By” is an audio series where over time we will explore some of the themes in the Poet Laura checklist, as well as Tweetspeak’s “Generosity” theme throughout 2021.

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Poems to Listen By: Moonstruck 03—A Pause in the Sky

Presented by Laurie Klein

Audio Script:

Welcome! This is Poems to Listen By. I’m Laurie Klein, your reader and host for our new series: Moonstruck.

Timewise, a single day on the moon correlates to a whopping 29 days on earth—an entire leap-year February. Just imagine a lunar Valentine’s Day: ongoing wine and roses, candles and chocolates and cards . . . oh my!

No wonder we earthlings, when separated, write love poems. I hope you’ll treat yourself to the poem World, by Dame Carol Ann Duffy, written to a beloved on the far side of the planet.

In praise of timeless love, here is Gregory Orr’s untitled poem:

[untitled poem]

How well we all know that time and emotional distance can also painfully widen between lovers. From Kelli Russell Agodon, this is The Moon Is a Comma, a Pause in the Sky.

[The Moon Is a Comma,
a Pause in the Sky]

I’d like to raise the gentlest of toasts today to love: its attractions as well as polarities. Poet Tess Gallagher provides the image:

Friends, here’s to the hope of “two moon-bright windows, seen after dark, across a field.”

You’ve just heard “The Moon is a Comma, a Pause in the Sky,” by Kelli Russell Agodon and Gregory Orr’s untitled poem.

I’m Laurie Klein. Thanks for listening!

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Photo by Lukas Schlagenhauf, Creative Commons license via Flickr. Untitled poem, by Gregory Orr, from How Beautiful the Beloved, Copper Canyon Press, 2009. Used by permission. “The Moon is a Comma, a Pause in the Sky” by Kelli Russell Agodon, from Letters from the Emily Dickinson Room, White Pine Press, Copyright ©2010. Used by permission, The Permissions Company, LLC. “World,” by Dame Carol Ann Duffy. Audio and script by Laurie Klein with thanks to Pat Stien for direction. “Simple Gifts” (public domain). Musical performance, recording, and mastering, by Bill Klein.

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Laurie Klein

Laurie Klein inherited her mother's passion for reading aloud. Despite mispronouncing "manure" in Mrs. Englebert's 4th grade class—to hooting derision from classmates as she read Charlotte's Web—she later pursued Theatre Arts at Whitworth University, in Spokane, Washington. "Can you teach me to play 100 characters?" she asked. They did. To this day, Professor Emeritus Pat Stien (now 93), continues to mentor Laurie (soon-to-be 69). As with writing, one never masters the art. Laurie's performance credits stateside and abroad include plays, one-woman shows, storytelling events, poetry readings, audiobooks, videos, and spoken word recordings for albums and public radio.

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