Eighteen years ago, thanks to the Academy of American Poets, April was designated National Poetry Month. According to the Academy, National Poetry Month is now the largest literary celebration in the world.
I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I envision throngs of people surrounded by stacks of books, imbibing massive quantities of coffee and alcohol, waving their hands while they talk, passionately discussing a word, phrase, or concept that moved them. Of course there is music. And -- since this is *my* fantasy -- chocolate.
Poetry isn't something reserved for the literati. It's not removed from reality. On the contrary, it interprets the world around us in a way that mere prose and conversation cannot. Poetry powers our songs. It connects the dots between disparate things, linking them in ways we'd never previously considered so completely that we can never completely see them as separate them again.
What's your favorite poem? Is it a song lyric that speaks to you? What turn of phrase calls your name?
In honor of National Poetry Month, during the month of April, share with the world the poetry that moves you. Why not brighten other lives with something that enriches yours?
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