Two-time U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser knows how to paint a picture with words. His eloquent imagery is simple yet effective, profound yet accessible, and his subjects provide insight into the seemingly mundane details of everyday existence. Take "Tattoo," a poem from his 2005 collection, Delights & Shadows: "What once was meant to be a statement/—a dripping dagger held in the fist of a shuddering heart—/is now just a bruise/on a bony old shoulder, the spot/where vanity once punched him hard/and the ache lingered on. He looks like/someone you had to reckon with/strong as a stallion, fast and ornery/but on this chilly morning, as he walks/between the tables at a yard sale/with the sleeves of his tight black T-shirt/rolled up to show us who he was/he is only another old man, picking up/broken tools and putting them back/his heart gone soft and blue with stories." USF's School of Theatre and Dance hosts a reading by Kooser tonight in honor of National Poetry Month. In conjunction, USF Theatre Honors presents Local Habitations, an original 55-minute performance piece adapted by Louis Greto from Kooser's writings and produced by his fellow Theatre Honors classmates; Patricia Perry directs. Reading, Thurs., April 28, 8 p.m., Performance, April 27-28, 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., both in Blackbox Theatre 120, College of Visual and Performing Arts, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, free admission to both events (space is limited, so reservations are a must), 813-974-2323.
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