April is a time to break out of the mold,
Feel the warm Spring as we shed Winter’s cold;
It is also a time for new skills to unfold,
Fresh approach to expression: age-old and bold!
© F.W. Heaton March 2018
April is National Poetry Month in the United States! For those of us who spend a fair amount of time reading and/or writing poetry, this is a big deal! For those of you who may not have made such a plunge, we’re writing this blog post in hopes it might prompt a few of you to jump in. We promise, the water is fine!
So, what is this thing called National Poetry Month? Organized by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, this is a rapidly growing celebration all across the country, the purpose of which is to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry. Here’s what they say in their online post: “Over the years, [National Poetry Month] has become the largest literary celebration in the world with schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets celebrating poetry’s vital place in our culture.”
The organizers could not have chosen a better month for this celebration: as our poem above suggests, April is a natural time to shake off the chill of winter and celebrate the coming of Spring—a newness of life, a grand time to learn new skills and develop new passions. Those who enjoy poetry have worked hard to offer you uncounted opportunities in almost every community in our country to test the waters and see if you might not surprise yourself enjoying poetry in a whole new way. We hope you’ll give it a try! The two buttons below will take you on exciting journeys! Let us know about your travels! Bon poetic voyage!