April is the cruellest month, breeding/Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing/Memory and desire, stirring/Dull roots with spring rain. . . T.S. Eliot, “The Waste Land”
Whatever.
It’s also National Poetry Month, thanks to The Academy of American Poets — and has been since 1996. It’s become that time of year when schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers and poets throughout the U.S. band together to celebrate poetry and its (hopefully) vital place in American culture. A quick visit to www.poetry.org will reveal the thousands of organizations that participate through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops and other events. Enter your state and see what’s happening throughout April locally to support the poetic endeavor.
My most favorite thing about National Poetry Month (aside from the fabulous posters that come to me each year as a workshop leader) is National Poem In Your Pocket Day: April 18. Try it this year for yourself. Bring a favorite poem to your workplace, school, community organization or book group. Pull it out and read it aloud. Share it with anyone who will listen. Try not to get arrested.
Here’s one to get you started from one of my favorites, Dorothy Parker. Your poem
doesn’t have to be grand or serious. The poetry.org site has lots of good suggestions — even poems for young people.. Have fun!
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Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song,
A medley of extemporanea;
And love is a thing that can never go wrong;
And I am Marie of Roumania.
Buon viaggio!
Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…
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