Every Day Should Begin with a Poem

As a kid growing up in Texas, I wasn’t the type to raise my hand in class or offer up her very own thoughts. I didn’t relate much to alphabetizing either, but I absolutely loved the library where the librarian was friendly and knew just about everything. People would sometimes visit and read storybooks or poems to us in the library. When someone read a poem out loud to us, I felt like they were finally speaking my language.

One fall day in our elementary school classroom, with the leaves turning and changing outside the windows, the teacher suddenly asked us to write a poem. My poem was not “good” in a traditional sense –and I pretty much knew that – but it gave me a chance, for once, to voice my own opinion with no anxiety in speaking openly. “Jelly beans are round and they sit in a jar and that’s what jelly beans are,” I said, with no fear. I did not care what anyone thought of my poem. It was exactly as I wanted it.
      
For me, that was one small veiled brave act of rebellion or progress, depending on how you looked at it. Memories fade as you grow up and grow older but that small moment was so important to me personally that, no matter whatever I go through in life, I will never forget it.

Poetry can make you laugh. It can make you cry. It can inspire you, and -- every once in a while: it can even change your life. Poetry is a place that you create, it's where you can go to design your own hope with whatever you’ve got inside of your very own imagination. Poetry connects. Poetry changes. Poetry says “Let me show you something.”

Here's a short clip for the upcoming film Where the Wild Things Are -- based on the children’s book by the same name by Maurice Sendak – and one of my all-time favorite books as a kid. By coincidence, I happened to run into one of the book's characters last Saturday at a literary event and was completely stunned. Even though it was just someone dressed up as a character from the book (an illustration), I wanted to tell him what an impact he'd had on my life as a kid. The book was so important to me then. (And even now, sometimes). Because it showed me the power of very pure or true hope through words and imagination.

So what does this video have to do with National Poetry Month, exactly? Watching this video, to me, feels like experiencing the always-new swooosh and thrill of riding a roller coaster (even though you know the feeling, it never fails to take your breath away). Watching this video -- in other words -- feels like poetry feels to me.





Some things you can for National Poetry Month


30 poems in 30 Days
Starting write now, the website NaPoWriMo is going to give a random poetry prompt every day during April. Just visit the site, view the daily prompt (like “sequin” or “maverick” or “squall”) and write your own poem in response to it!
http://readwritepoem.org/


There’s also a random poetry quote, like...

I go to the things I love
With no thought of duty or pity.
--Hilda Dolittle


Poetry exists as a body attempting communication.
--Sam Hamill


Everyday should begin with a poem.
--Michelle McGrane


A Poem in Your Pocket:

On NapoWriMo you can also find details to celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day which takes place on April 30, 2009. The basic idea is to pick a poem you really love and carry it with you all day long so you can share it with co-workers, friends, etc.





Poetry can create a moment where everything makes sense. It creates freedom -- no matter who or where you are or what you are doing. April 1st begins National Poetry Month: thirty days to celebrate all that poetry can be and what you can be through poetry.


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