This week, Ira spoke with Sydney Lea, author of "What Shines." In this poetic episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Sydney talks about what drew him to poetry in the beginning (even though he was a late bloomer); how he became “re-intrigued” with writing while teaching a class; how he absorbed stories from “rough folks’ he met along the way and how he wanted to capture it for poetry; how he defines poetry; when he writes, he delights in finding connections that wouldn’t be obvious; how poetry can keep ideas alive; how he wants people to enjoy the poem at the level of language; dealing with old age; why his books are toward a “guarded optimism”; finding himself “unusually blessed”; the virtues of humility; why there’s no element of discovery in political poetry; and why everybody can get something out of a Robert Frost poem.