Review of "Token Loss" by Kay Ryan

"Token Loss" by Kay Ryan was offered by Poets.org's Poem-A-Day on January 10, 2014.  A link to the poem, including the poet's notes, may be found here:

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/23830

National Humanities Medal recipient Kay Ryan (b. 1945) won the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 2011 for her collection, The Best of It:  New and Selected Poems.  She served as Poet Laureate of the United States for two terms.  For additional biographical information, follow this link:

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/352?utm_source=PAD%3A+Token+Loss+by+Kay+Ryan&utm_campaign=poemaday_011014&utm_medium=email

"Token Loss" is reminiscent of the story of Smaug the dragon in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.  This is the first poem of a speculative nature that I recall reading in Poem-A-Day.  I wonder if the powers that be at Poets.org heeded my suggestion for speculative poetry on their recent survey?  How refreshing!  Even more refreshing is that a speculative poet served as a US Poet Laureate.