April is the month dedicated to appreciating (and writing!) poetry in the US. A few years ago, when he was US poet laureate, Billy Collins recommended that everyone should write a poem every day. Not to get it published, or to practice the craft of writing, but to practice noticing your life. Just to look out the window and write something about what you see or feel, or wish or love or hate, or want to remember. If this seems daunting to you, you can write a one-line poem; give it a title – and write about it. Such as; “WIND – I want to befriend it, but it is so pushy”! Or you could write a Haiku each day about what you see out your window – a three-line poem with 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second and 5 in the final… or create your own form! Writing poetry is what keeps me attuned to my life, what provides excitement and a reception for my random thoughts! If you want other ideas for poem writing, check the “prompt archives” at the top of the website page. Also there is a national program going on right now – It is called “National Poetry Writing Month”. On the website they post a poetry prompt each day and participants write and (optionally post) their poems. Check it out at www.napowrimo.net
But if writing a poem every day is just not what you want to commit to – maybe you would consider reading a poem each day this month. There are lots of sources of daily poems on line. Just google it, as they say!
I keep in my purse a small stash of poems that I love and have printed out on cardstock. I hand them out freely during the month – informing people that it is national poetry month – and here’s one for you! Or I let them choose from the poems I have – sort of like selecting a tarot card for the day. It’s quite a fun practice.
Poetry is the language of the soul and there is “medicine” in any poem you read. Don’t try to arm wrestle the meaning out of it – just sort of let it wash over you and see what your heart responds to. Happy poetry reading to you!
I cannot help
my inner drive
to arrange words
on a page – to
rearrange and chase them
until they please me – or don’t.
Until they say something
I didn’t know.
Until they sing and dance
or lie down and cry.
Until they give me
a warmth
I hadn’t missed
until now.
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