I adore National Poetry Month. I'm always sad that it comes right after March's Slice of Life Story Challenge. My relief that March is over makes it hard for me to muster a daily commitment to National Poetry Month. This year I'm committing to something poetic daily. It might be a favorite poem or book or poet or even a quote I love about poetry. Maybe I'll even stretch myself and write an original poem. Actually there's just one day that I have committed to writing poetry, April 19th, the day I signed up to add a line to the 2025 Kidlit Progressive Poem. I wrote about it for my Slice of Life on March 27th and extended a playful invitation for other slicers to join us.
Shortly after our move to North Carolina, I was invited to join a unique book club by my daughter's neighbor. This group meets and shares what they have been reading. It's a dangerous gathering for confirmed bibliophiles. We always increase our individual WTR ("Want To Read") book list by several books. I prefer the abbreviation WTR over TBR (To Be Read) which sounds like assigned reading. This group meets at a local coffee shop. No one has to clean their home or worry about providing food for the group.
Around a year ago, I shared How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope edited by James Crews, with this new group of bookish friends. Sharing poetry with this group of women I was just getting to know was brave (or perhaps foolish) on my part. They listened to the three poems * I shared from the book. Actually, I could have shared many poems from the book. But I limited myself to three.
And then at our latest book club meeting last week, I extended another invitation. Since April is National Poetry Month, why not bring a poem or book of poetry to share with the group at our next meeting? And they accepted my invitation! How are you spreading poetic love during National Poetry Month? Step our of your comfort zone and join the fun at the poetry playground. I guarantee that you'll have fun!
* "In the Company of Women" by January Gill O'Neil (p. 102), "Wondrous" by Sarah Freligh (p. 97), and "Perceptive Prayer" by Grace Bauer (p. 132.
Ramona, due to my husband's aggressive cancer diagnose, I did not have the time to devote to #SOL25 but I hope there will be time for me to write poetry from the heart. I love the WTR you shared and look forward to your new approach to NPM this year.
ReplyDeleteI love the WTR instead of the TBR! I agree that it much more accurately captures the spirit of a book you're excited about reading rather than one you're assigned to read or scheduling onto your calendar to read. I do sometimes write poetry for this month, but I wasn't feeling up to that challenge. I do hope to read a poem each day though.
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