Poetry…What Does it Even Mean?

I copied that BEST 
poem
and hung it on my
bedroom wall 
right over my bed
where I can
see it when I’m
lying 
down.

Maybe you could
copy it too
and hang it
on the wall
in our class
where we can see it
when we are sitting
at our desks 
doing our stuff.


                                                   from Love That Dog
                                             written by Sharon Creech
                                                      HarperCollins, 2001
                                                       (ebook, pub 2014)
    [Poetry: a] literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature. (definition from Google on-line dictionary)
    In April 1996, the Academy of American Poets instituted National Poetry Month to remind us all that poets have an integral role to play in our culture and that poetry matters. In 2021, we are celebrating the Academy’s 25th anniversary of National Poetry Month.
    Since 2008, the Academy of American Poets has called attention to poetry in all 50 states with Poem in Your Pocket Day, this year on Thursday, April 29. If you don’t have a favorite poet, try one of mine. Mary Oliver, Robert Frost, Allison Pitinii Davis.
Here’s how you can participate: 

• Tweet a poem using the hashtag #PocketPoem 
• email a poem to your friends and family, local government leaders, and neighbors
• Add a poem to your email footer 
• Read a poem out loud from your porch, window, backyard or any outdoor space
• Copy out a poem and carry it in your pocket

You can sign up for A Poem A Day in lots of places, too.
Poetry Foundation https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/154719/april-1984 
Academy of American Poets https://poets.org/poem-a-day 
Cuyahoga County Public Library https://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/Services/William-N-Skirball-Writers-Center/Poetry/Read-Write-30-Days-of-Poetry.aspx 

Why even do it? 
Sara Letourneau, https://saraletourneauwriter.com/2018/07/25/five-reasons-daily-poem-reading/ has five reasons. Her reasons, my comments.

1. It’s easy. Most poems are short. They fit into small slots of time.
2. Morning, bedtime, or anytime in-between, reading poetry shapes your day. A poem provides a “second breakfast,” exercise for your body—take your mind on a walk, or fertile fodder for dreams and problem solving.
3. Poetry opens our eyes to new ways of seeing the world. Poetry confines itself to a limited scope and a sense of complexity. By combining old images in new ways and providing unusual comparisons, poetry is full of fresh perspectives, gifts to our imaginations.
4. A poem can change your life, really.
5. Reading poetry helps focus us on the musicality of our word choices, rhythm of our sentences, and voice we share with the world. Reading poetry makes us better listeners, talkers, and writers.

    Some people feel afraid of poetry.  Maybe they won’t understand it. Maybe they think they’ll miss what the poet meant. Any number of reasons can keep poetry apart from a person. But take the old Life cereal commercial to heart. “Try it, you’ll like it!”
    Sometimes it is a poem’s sound, its visual look on a page, or a stand-out image that gives me a smile, a nod, or an a-ha.
    Here’s a poem I wrote about not being able to write a poem. And I had a deadline. 
                         Stuck, Unstuck
            When a palm, potted and rootbound
            pursues the clouds,
            its fronds clatter applause.

            When a ship, bottled and corked
            dreams of tides,
            its sails luff in song.

            When this poet, soft-brained and pliable 
            explores the past,
            her synapses spit encouragement.

            When a pen, ink-heavy and uncapped
            sits impatiently, full of promise,
            a poem appears.
   
​    I’ll leave you with one of my favorites.
               
               Keep A Poem In Your Pocket 
               Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
        Keep a poem in your pocket 
        And a picture in your head 
        And you'll never feel lonely 
        At night when you're in bed.

        The little poem will sing to you 
        The little picture bring to you
        A dozen dreams to dance to you 
        At night when you're in bed.

        So - Keep a picture in your pocket 
        And a poem in your head
        And you'll never feel lonely
        At night when you're in bed.
                                          stay curious! (and think spring)