Celebrating Diversity, Form, and Voice: National Poetry Month

It’s National Poetry Month in the United States and Canada! Every April, the Academy of American Poets organizes a month-long celebration of poetry to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry. Today we join in the festivities by featuring some poetry, book recommendations, and more.

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An Ode to a Broken Marker: Why Not?

Sometimes it takes a child’s perspective to remind us that poetry is all around us. MsMac is a library media specialist at Silver Star Elementary in Vancouver, Washington. Throughout the month of April, she’s been working with a group of fourth-grade students writing poems about inanimate objects in the classroom. We loved Ruben’s tribute to a broken marker and Tim’s ode to the calendar.

Lost and forgotten marker
I am as leaky as a river coming into the sea
overused, gross, ugly
we chucked you in the trash
yucky, unneeded, broken marker

~Ruben

Organized calendar
I’m as smart as a 7th grader
flip, count, mark
you know what day it is
Time keeper

~Tim

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Arresting Visual Imagery by Katy Telling

Poetry need not simply be words on an other-wise blank page. Soft Cartel was a magazine dedicated to fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and art. We loved the boldness of Katy Telling’s recent visual poem and how the image remains emblazoned on your mind as a reader.

By Katy Telling

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Three Poetry Book Recommendations

Interested in picking up a poetry collection but not sure where to start? Susan, a contributor to the O’Fallon Public Library Blog, recommends three titles from a diverse set of authors, including Soaring Earth by Cuban-American poet Margarita Engle.

The next recommendation is based on real events. In Soaring Earth, Margarita Engle details her teenage years in Los Angeles against the turbulent backdrop of the Vietnam War.

In vulnerable verse, she addresses the notions of peace, civil rights, freedom of expression, and environmental protection that are once again under threat. Despite these circumstances, young Margarita was able to find solace and empowerment through her education.

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Poetry Resources, Advice, and…Poems, of Course!

VITA BREVIS is a resource for emerging poets. It publishes not only poetry, but also guides for poets on how to get published and on working with WordPress.

We loved this recent poem by Ann Christine Tabaka about the loneliness of growing old. Here’s just a small sample. You can also read the poem in its entirety.

As memories fade, so
does he. Closing his eyes, he drifts
off into that other world. As the mail
truck drives by, not stopping, and dust
motes continue their last ballet.

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Have you written any poetry or read poems in honor of National Poetry Month? Please share!

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