Ducklings huddle with their mother at the edge of a lagoon in Loveland, Colo, last year during spring.
By Shelley Widhalm
April is the best month for three reasons: baby animals start coming out, it’s my birthday and … it’s National Poetry Month.
Each day of the month, the Academy of American Poets suggests ways to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry. Today’s suggestion is to review examples of how poetry matters in the United States.
Poetry Suggestions
Other suggestions include reading a poem at an open mic, starting a poetry reading group (I also think a poetry writing group is a great idea), reading about different poetic forms (or try writing them), signing up for a poetry class or workshop, attending a poetry reading or chalking poems on sidewalks.
April 18 is a special day, Celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day, encouraging the selection of a poem you love (including ones you’ve written) and carrying it with you to share with coworkers, family and friends.
“I like the fact that for one month, people are more sensitized and aware of poetry,” said Windsor, Colo., poet Lorrie Wolfe, president of the Northern Colorado Chapter of the Columbine Poets of Colorado. “There’s lots of ways to incorporate poetry into your life, and having a month that celebrates that is fun.”
For Poem in Your Pocket Day, Wolfe hands out copies of a poem to the people she encounters that day, including her neighbors and her local barista, and puts them with any bills or mail she sends out.
“That’s a fun one,” Wolfe said.
Poem-A-Day Challenge
Loveland poet Lynn Kincanon, a member of the Metaphors, a Loveland-based poetry group, celebrated the month last year by writing a poem a day in a different form, selecting from the 500 that are available, she said. She’s doing the same thing this year.
“It lets me learn so many different forms of poetry. I’ve never heard of half of the ones I’m writing,” Kincanon said.
Kincanon, along with several other poets in Loveland, writes a poem a day as part of the national Poem-A-Day Challenge. They attended a local workshop Aug. 5, 2017, presented by Placerville, Colo., poet, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, “Rigorous Willingness: Writing from the Unconstricted Throat” at the Loveland Public Library. Wahtola Trommer suggested poets write and share a poem a day, and I, too, joined in the challenge. Those of us who have kept with it have written about 600 poems so far.
I like the result—not only more poems in my pocket and on my laptop, but I have a closer eye. Being attuned to poetry puts me on the hunt for things to write about each day, though I do find I repeat subjects—such as the ducks and geese at the lagoon I run past on my way to the gym, my days at work and my inner landscape. I also find that my output has increased from zero or a half-dozen a month to 28 to 31.
Keeping up with Poetry
A few times along my poetry path, I, however, wanted to give up, because my daily challenge would become a week of catch-up. I would do some poetry dumping and short haikus, filling in the poem blanks. I told other poets about my poem guilt and learned that I can look at it as practice and commend myself for showing up.
At times, I have to wade through some sloppy bad poems to get to a few good ones. I find a line or two that seem like a treasure to take out and use elsewhere. I also have tried new forms and deepened my understanding of poetry’s conciseness, rhythm and ways of expression.
Lastly, my daily life from the challenge has become more about observing the little details, remembering them and crafting a poem out of my sense impressions. I’m more observant and aware. I’m searching as I live instead of just letting my environment lie still. I see, feel, hear and sense more of my world, and I’m more alive because of poetry.
As Loveland poet Maria Maldonado-Dunn, also a member of the Metaphors, said, “I think it’s so awesome we have an entire month focused on one of my passions. … It’s the best month in the whole calendar year. Poetry is not dead.”
I wrote about “Loveland poets take up Poem-A-Day Challenge,” for the Loveland Reporter-Herald. Check it out!
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