Cotton Candy: Poems Dipped Out of the Air

by Ted Kooser

“Poems dipped out of the air” describes the manner in which Ted Kooser composed the poems in Cotton Candy , the result of his daily routine of getting up long before dawn, sitting with coffee, pen, and notebook, and writing whatever drifts into his mind. Whether those words and images are serious or just plain silly, Kooser tries not to censor himself. His objective is to catch whatever comes to him, to snatch it out of the air in words, rhythms, and cadences, the way a cotton candy vendor dips an airy puff out of a cloud of spun sugar and hands it to his customer. Poems written in fun and now shared with the reader, Kooser’s playful and magical confections charm and delight.

Genres: Poetry, Nature

96 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2022

About the author

Ted Kooser lives in rural Nebraska with his wife, Kathleen, and three dogs. He is one of America's most noted poets, having served two terms as U. S. Poet Laureate and, during the second term, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his collection, Delights & Shadows. He is a retired life insurance executive who now teaches part-time at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. The school board in Lincoln, Nebraska, recently opened Ted Kooser Elementary School, which Ted says is his greatest honor, among many awards and distinctions. He has published twelve collections of poetry and three nonfiction books. Two of the latter are books on writing, The Poetry Home Repair Manual and Writing Brave and Free, and a memoir, Lights on a Ground of Darkness (all from University of Nebraska Press. Bag in the Wind from Candlewick is his first children's book, with which he is delighted. "It's wonderful," Ted said, "to be writing for young people. I am reinventing myself at age 70."

Reviews

[Punk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read a volume of poetry so consistent in what it was doing and so unafraid to be obvious about it. All these poems are using the same lens in different ways as Kooser observes the natural world while weaving in whimsical metaphors. Like in "A Sudden Storm" in which the storm is like a car wash, only the car is your house; its opening line: "We nosed our house into a carwash of rain..." The poems are light, contemplative and fanciful, with no sense that you might be missing something, no pressure to dig for a deeper meaning—though those are available—instead these are rewarding with only a surface reading, though they can still withstand multiple reads as you piece together the full imagery of each.

Some of the poems required I take a running leap into them because I wasn't sure where they were headed, but, like leaping into a jump rope being turned by two classmates on a playground, I felt like once I was safely inside, I'd be okay. I read two of these a day, as is my habit with poetry so I don't get worn out or impatient, and by the end I was getting a little, "yeah, yeah, Ted, a plastic bag by the side of the road is like a bird" about it, but even as I thought it I knew it was uncharitable, as Kooser's work here is impressive, and his voice knowledgeable and imaginative. These are poems that build to something, no one line able to survive out on its own, but little stories about the natural world and the way one might search for intention in it in order to feel better connected with it.

Here's one of my favorites:

A Few Things in Their Places

A brick on the lid of a beehive, five tires
weighing down the tarpaper roof on a shed,
close to a hundred round thousand-pound bales
holding the prairie flat all the way out
to its edge and, next to an abandoned school,
a teeter-totter pressing the tip of a finger
on something that once happened there.

I love the surety of purpose in this poem, the satisfaction of a few things in their rightful place, doing the important but subtle work of holding down a lid, a roof, a prairie, and the lingering mystery of an abandoned school and whatever happened in the yard that only the teeter-totter still remembers.

Other favorites include: A Light Snow in Late March; Turtles; Rowboat; Melon.

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the works of Ted Kooser but the old charm of his earlier work is not to be found here; it was ok but not like Delights and Shadows and Winter Morning Walks: 100 Postcards to Jim Harrison.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my least favorite poetry book I’ve read this year, but certainly not because it is bad. These poems are fun little linguistic excursions into the ordinary. They are playful and often beautiful.

I am trying to learn to love art that does not strive for profundity, but that doesn’t mean that I’m succeeding.

[Lilli Hirth · Rating 4 out of 5]

My my, Ted, this one really grew on me. I usually find myself finishing a poetry book with several standouts and a vague sense of what the author was trying to convey, but this one felt a little different - no standouts, but a much more pervasive atmosphere and lingering feeling of appreciation for the world around me… kinda need to go stare at some corn stalks in the snow or something. Glad I randomly added this book a while ago, and extra glad I got around to reading it!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and light. Mostly artful observations of nature: the many things reflected in a raindrop on a used car, trees supporting squirrels flying through the air, cornshucks in the late autumn wind.

[Judie Lalanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kooser is a genius

Love Ted Kooser! Love this wonderful book of poems!!!!! I mrarked dozens of pages to read again and again and again

[Bernie Gourley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The new collection by Ted Kooser is vibrant and playful. While imagery is front and center in these poems, it’s not the imagery of still life, but rather conveys the constant motion of all things. It’s that dynamism that makes for an uplifting read. Most of the entries are nature-centric, but a few – like the titular poem – delve into the world of man.

It’s a brief collection, consisting of about seventy short-form poems.

With so many mopey poetry collections out there, it was a pleasure to read one that enlivens and energizes. I’d highly recommend it for poetry readers.

[Gabriel Noel · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF'd at 60%

It just didn't hold my interest and the poems didn't flow nor were they very heart wrenching. This type of poetry/prose is suited for readers who like nature and don't go for metaphor.

The poems I liked are: "Spring" and "Culvert."

[Cameron Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some gems, but far from Kooser's best.

[Grace RS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some poets teach you how to see the world differently, to see the world as awash in beauty and enchantment, and Ted Kooser, a U.S. poet Laureate, succeeds in helping readers recognize some of the wonders that surround us. His poetry demonstrates, via reflections in lakes and raindrops, how we are a part of a grand and orderly world brimming with transcendence. This collection presents the cycle of the seasons, starting with winter and culminating with winter, and overall, it is a celebration of life, of being present, and of seeing. This incredibly talented poet renders sundry every-day items with a new name or identity: for example, the flickering sunlight under a tree is now glittery goldfish; a harp is now a golden moth; a storm is now a house going through a carwash; and a row of shopping carts has transformed into a centipede.

Poets tend to have obsessions that they want to continue visiting/contemplating. Kooser is mystified with the interplay of shadow and lights, how the light pervades through the darkness. He also reflects on dust, its commonality as well as its sacredness, how it's ultimately imbued with life. Music is present throughout the world, even if it is mostly unheard or unnoticed, such as in "Culvert": "I've brought you this far, our shoes soaked by the wet grass, and have stooped down to show you this place where the water plays for itself a light tune in the darkness, you'll be able to hear it forever." All nature seems to be lovingly and gracefully in sync with this tune that can be heard if we only pay close enough attention: the breeze will dance with leaves, the clouds dance with the moon, and the moth dances with her shadow.

Some of my favorite poems here are "A Light in a Farmyard" ("One little hole in the fabric has opened a few yards away, letting yesterday--or is it tomorrow? leak through"), "A Cloudy Sunrise" ("The sun...lay there with a cloud pulled up over its face, under a comforter with a border embroidered with bare trees and crows"), and "An Oriole Nest in Winter" ("All we really have is a nest at the end of a twig, a little like a purse in appearance, threadbare on a winter day, the missing eggs all spent to buy the future.")

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whimsy in the Ordinary

If you’re looking for a lighthearted and pleasant read, this is the book. Bonus points if you’re reading it in autumn as it amplifies the mood.

Kooser’s poetry carried me straight to what feels like the Midwest (my homeland), where the world is quieter and solitude is welcomed. He has a refined and creative way of noticing the little things, using anthropomorphic imagery to turn simple details into vivid, familiar scenes.

Many of the poems made me smile or stirred that feeling of knowing. I marked twenty favorites in total, with standouts including A Sudden Storm, An Oriole Nest in Winter, and A Novelty. The only piece that felt a bit out of place was the title poem, Cotton Candy. It opens on a bright, social note, depicting a treat to enjoy among a gathering of people. However, the rest of the collection settles into a quieter, more solitary rhythm steeped in the observation of nature. It’s a small mismatch, but it makes the title feel a bit misleading compared to the tone of nearly the entire book.

Overall, reading this truly feels like stepping outside for a breath of fresh Midwestern air and reminds the reader that life’s simplest moments can hold warmth, humor and a kind of everyday wonder.

A Sudden Storm
We nosed our house into a carwash of rain,
and immediately a peal of thunder jerked us
forward, and all of the lights went off and on
and off again, and a blinding downpour
rushed out of a rack of slowly rolling clouds
just as the rotary brush of our spirea bush
began to slap at the window, passing by,
then passing again, still slapping. Wed paid
with a few minutes of our day for the Deluxe
but were given an upgrade to the Ultimate,
including an underbody wash—for the cellar
got wet-and we also were entitled to a free
clear-body finish, with a glittering beading
of hail. Then, suddenly, all of the roaring
stopped, and the lights came on again,
and we could see the sun far out ahead,
and after a pause, as if taking a deep breath,
the blowers came on and we were rolled out
dripping a little, into the rest of the day.

—Ted Kooser

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful collection of poems, and a great book for non-poetry readers.

Kooser has an imaginative and whimsical way of looking at the world. The light filtered between trees becomes goldfish, he takes a walk with his shadow, the turtles at the edge of a pond are upholstery tacks holding down the fabric of landscape. It’s a light-hearted, uplifting read overall.

I usually list my favorite poems in a collection in a review, those I really enjoyed, but this had too many. I borrowed this collection from the library, but am going to buy a copy of my own so I can revisit these.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

Beautiful, peaceful, flowing movement through the seasons and nature. I especially liked A Dervish of Leaves and the metaphor of the leaves dancing in the bed of the truck.

I had hoped that more of the poems would find their way into being flagged and shared with my poetry-loving Mom. Poetry, though, it seems more so than fiction, seems heavily reliant on the “when you read” and the mood you are in when doing so. The author’s work was enjoyable and I loved the images he painted. I would read more of his work—and even revisit this volume.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

The collections of poems were enjoyable to read, at bedtime, to my 6 year old. I especially enjoyed the poems in Part II of the collection; especially "Rowboat." Kooser's connection to nature and place allowed me to be transported to the landscape of rural Nebraska to the supermarket parking lot of a metropolitan area. Word choice is simple and amazing allowing the words to dance when sharing the poems out loud. I'd encourage you to read this poetry collection.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a practice of dog-earring the pages of the poems I especially love in a book of poetry. This one has just as many folded pages as straight. Ted Kooser has an ability to find delightful comparisons in everyday events and objects. Trees by a stream are children playing in a pool, cornstalks blowing are creatures hurrying by. When the ordinary feels weary, a few of Ted’s poems can refresh the soul.

[L.B. Sedlacek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful new set of poems by Kooser awaits in this delightful new book. He writes with such clarity and grace. It’s easy to imagine what he observed or felt while he was writing each poem. Kooser is a gifted poet, to say the very least. These poems are just like the title says - easy to enjoy like cotton candy.

[J.W. Surface · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kooser describes this book in his introduction, as him playing with poems. And while you read it, you are playing too. That says it all!
If you want good poetry that is lighthearted and not bogged down by the current social commentary poetry trends of today, then pick this up. You will not be disappointed.

[Shaun M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ted Kooser's poetry is always a wonder: the clarity of his imagery, the suppleness of each line. His poems are a gift and a wonder that celebrates the little miracles around us every day. You can feel the amazement that Kooser experiences when he looks at the world. A book of poems to be treasured.

[Rebekah]

I don't feel comfortable rating this because it was a collection that while good, it wasn't for me. I would probably rate it 3 stars.

It is straightforward poetry which I appreciate. But the writing was too flowery for me so it didn't seem completely straightforward to me.

[Morgan Radley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was just not for me. I'm not a fan of poets who describe little daily things, as if these things suddenly become magical just by writing them down in a certain way. Makes me feel like I'm reading someone's to-do list or random notes.

[Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonder poems.

[Ray Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quiet but beautiful poems born from deep observation and at times a sense of whimsy. I think fans of Mary Oliver’s work might also enjoy these poems.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading how the poet saw ordinary things differently

[Sharon Pruchnik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Playful. Reminds the reader to look, pay attention, live.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ted Kooser is one of my favorite poets, the way he is able to whittle down the words to their essence yet still fully convey a mood. I need to set aside an entire shelf for his poetry books.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still love his poetry.

[Sbakerreviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening! I really enjoyed how he took every day events and used personification.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection to read to children as you drink in the lines yourself

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mini stories more so than poetry