Literary Up: Kali fawning

Kali Dakos is one of the finest poets of a generation, and that generation consists of folks 50 years younger than she is. I feel privileged to be raising kids at a time when Dakos is still publishing fresh verses. My daughters love her work. They relate to it. They quote it. Sally, who’s seven, was doing dramatic readings from If You’re Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand just last night.

Kali Dakos nails the anxieties and insecurities of childhood. She makes fun of teachers and parents too. She grasps the priorities that children have. She celebrates the underdogs and lost souls. (She has several poems about items languishing in the Lost & Found Box.) And she writes with innate rhythm and flair. She’s an inspiration to her young readers, but more importantly she empathizes with them.