About this episode
Marie Howe’s poem “ My Mother’s Body ” is wise about age. In the poem, Marie’s mother is young enough to be Marie’s own daughter, and in this imagination there is wonder, understanding, and even forgiveness. A question to reflect on after you listen: Are there things that you have found easier to understand — or even forgive — as you’ve gotten older? About the poet: Marie Howe is a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. She’s published four collections of poetry: What the Living Do , The Good Thief , The Kingdom of Ordinary Time , and Magdalene . She has taught at Sarah Lawrence College, Dartmouth College, and New York University. “My Mother’s Body” comes from Marie Howe’s book The Kingdom of Ordinary Time . Thank you to W.W. Norton, who published the book and gave us permission to use Marie’s poem. Read it on onbeing.org . Find the transcript for this episode at onbeing.org . The original music in this episode was composed by Gautam Srikishan . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.