“Teaching Speech, ” a Poem by Laura Kolbe
Saying yes to no and yes to yes to the baby boy so many times a day it’s like a people’s protest chant gone non- electric harboring a claim belonged to everyone who cares, we care, we crawl outside and.
The poem Teaching Speech by Laura Kolbe is part of her collection The Decadent Movement, published in 2026 by the University of Pittsburgh Press. The poem explores the act of naming and affirming life, particularly through the lens of motherhood and the natural world. It describes a mother repeatedly saying yes to her child, framing it as a communal and almost protest-like act. The poem also touches on the idea of categorizing and identifying elements of nature, such as naming the fence around a tree or observing the moon. The language is lyrical and introspective, blending personal and universal themes. Kolbe, a physician and medical ethicist, incorporates metaphors related to nurturing and sustenance, comparing motherhood to the act of cutting peat for fuel, symbolizing a timeless and cyclical process.
Laura Kolbe is the author of Teaching Speech and the collection The Decadent Movement. She is a physician, medical ethicist, and writer whose work has appeared in prestigious publications such as The Best American Poetry series, American Poetry Review, Harper’s, The Nation, and The New Yorker. Her first poetry collection, Little Pharma, won the Agnes Lynch Starrett Prize and was also published by the University of Pittsburgh Press. Additionally, her chapbook Keeping House: Six Longer Love Poems was selected as the winner of the Center for Book Arts annual chapbook contest by Kwame Dawes. Kolbe practices and teaches medicine in New York City, where she resides.
The poem Teaching Speech delves into themes of affirmation, communication, and the power of naming. It reflects on how language shapes our understanding of the world and our relationships, particularly in the context of parenting. The poem uses vivid imagery, such as the noon moon’s matte navel, to evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural world. The style is introspective and rhythmic, with a focus on repetition and the musicality of words. Kolbe’s background in medicine and ethics may subtly influence the poem’s exploration of care, nurturing, and the boundaries between the self and the external world. The poem’s structure and language invite readers to reflect on their own experiences of naming, affirming, and connecting with the world around them.
*The Decadent Movement* is the title of Laura Kolbe’s poetry collection, from which *Teaching Speech* is taken. The collection was published in 2026 by the University of Pittsburgh Press, a publisher known for its contributions to literary and scholarly works. The term *decadent* in literature often refers to a movement that emerged in the late 19th century, characterized by a fascination with artificiality, beauty, and the exploration of taboo subjects. While Kolbe’s collection may draw on these themes, the specific focus of *The Decadent Movement* is not detailed in the article. The collection represents Kolbe’s second major poetry publication, following her award-winning debut *Little Pharma*.
