national poetry month

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    Though we are nine days into April, I think there’s still time to notice that it’s National Poetry Month.


    I offer a selection of links to help you celebrate and explore.

    Here are some places you can sign up to get a poem everyday by email:

    The Academy of American Poets Poem a Day
    The Borzoi Reader
    The Writer’s Almanac (continues all year)

    Here are some great resource sites:

    The Academy of Amerian Poets
    The League of Canadian Poets
    A list of American Poets Laureate (with links)
    The Favorite Poem Project (with videos)

    Here are some poets worth knowing (not an exhaustive list)

    Nathan Brown
    Jimmy Santiago Baca
    Naomi Shihab Nye
    Linda Pastan
    W. S. Merwin
    Wendell Berry
    Billy Collins
    Mary Oliver
    Stanley Kunitz

    And finally, I offer a poem. The beach here in Green Harbor changes everyday. At high tide, the waves come all the way to the sea wall and when they retreat they leave something different each time.

    What the Tide Takes Away

    We walk the same stretch of sand
    Whenever the tide is low
    To see how the waves that wandered
    All the way up to the sea wall
    Repainted the beach
    Before they retreated.

    We walk on the damp, packed sand
    Dropping our words among the rocks and driftwood,
    Among the shells and sea glass,
    Pounding our feelings
    Into the ground with every step,
    Leaving them behind like footprints.

    We are not walking away.
    We are walking together,
    Leaving a trail of words
    And emotions in the sand
    At low tide, at sunset,
    On our way home.

    Tonight while we sleep
    The tide will come, the waves will
    Wash back up to the sea wall
    And wipe the sand clean,
    Along with our footprints,
    A quiet, grand gesture of forgiveness.

    Here’s to all the place words can take us.

    Peace,
    Milton

    2 COMMENTS

    1. Wish you’d been here to hear the appreciative intake of breath I made as I finished your poem. Awesome! Of course, I make that noise every day when I finish reading your posts.

      Blessings,
      Rich

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