Bill Holm
Bill Holm was born in 1943 on a farm outside Minneota, Minnesota. He received a BA from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1965 and an MA from the University of Kansas in 1967.
Holm was the author of several poetry collections, including Playing the Black Piano (Milkweed Editions, 2004), The Dead Get By with Everything (Milkweed Editions, 1991), and The Music of Failure (Plains Press, 1985). His collection The Chain Letter of the Soul: New and Selected Poems (Milkweed Editions) was published posthumously in 2009. He also wrote several essay collections, including The Windows of Brimnes: An American in Iceland (Milkweed Editions, 2007).
A professor emeritus at Southwest Minnesota State until his retirement in 2008, Holm was known for his connection to Minnesota. In an article for the Minn Post, Nick Hayes describes him as “the quintessential voice of our small towns and prairies.” He goes on to note that Holm “was also our lost Icelander in Minnesota.” The grandchild of Icelandic immigrants, Holm spent most of his summers at his cottage in Hofsos, Iceland, and his writing was influenced both by the heritage and landscape of both of his homes.
In 2008, Holm received the McKnight Distinguished Artist Award. He died on February 26, 2009, in South Dakota. (poets.org)
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This poem sparked with me right away! I think it’s safe to say my “next life will be a lot like this one!” I’m just not a risk taker. Are you? This is my first introduction to Holm, but I think I’m going to like his work! (Doesn’t he look just like Santa Claus!!! 😀 )
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Advice
Someone dancing inside us
learned only a few steps:
the “Do-Your-Work” in 4/4 time.
the “What-Do-You-Expect” waltz.
He hasn’t notice yet the woman
standing away from the lamp,
the one with dark eyes
who knows the rhumba
and strange steps in jumpy rhythms
from the mountains in Bulgaria.
If they dance together,
something unexpected will happen.
If they don’t, the next world
will be a lot like this one.
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Bill Holm reading this poem…
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Picture Source: Perfect Duluth Day
Impromptu Promptlings 
I love anything about dancing – so I loved this poem. Thanks for introducing me to this poet.
I have started participating in a group called Interplay that is designed to encourage spiritual growth through body movement. All of us are in our 60s or older. I met with this group for the second time on Monday and it was wonderful – spiritually, socially and of course physically.
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Sounds fun. Julia Thorley over at “Life, yoga and other adventures” is involved in a group something like that over in Britain. They choreograph their own dances routines, etc. (http://juliathorley.blogspot.com/)
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Interesting poem … and yes, he DOES look like Santa Claus! I’m a cautious risk-taker … more so now than when I was younger, for … life is short and what have I got to lose!
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I’ve never been a risk-taker That’s why I like to work behind the scenes. 🙂
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Oh, I don’t jump off of buildings or anything, but I am more willing now to try new things, step outside of my comfort zone. 😊
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Just remember! We break easier now! Of course some of us are already crack pots! Whoops! I mean cracked pots. But as good old Leonard says, that’s how the light gets in! 😀
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