Fridays Are For Poetry

"Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words."
                                                                                    --- Robert Frost

In my corner of the world, April is usually a dreary month.  I know the calendar says it's spring, and I know there are blooms happening in other parts of the country (because I've seen your pictures) . . . but here in Michigan, we remain winter-weary.   Sure.  We've got robins.  And we've had snowdrops and crocus.  Daffodils are beginning to pop up; even some early tulips.  But those are just little teases of what will come, eventually.  Right now there is snow on the ground again.  And it is cold.  And grey.  And not very spring-like at all.

Not much to love about April, really.  Not here, at least.  It's a month that seems like it should be something that it's just not.

So I'm particularly pleased that April brings me something else to celebrate (while I wait for those bursting buds and blue sky blooms and . . . heck, temperatures above the freezing mark) . . . 

Yes!  April is National Poetry Month -- a month set aside to acknowledge and celebrate poetry's importance in our culture and our lives.  There are many goals of National Poetry Month (highlighting the legacy and contributions of poets, supporting the teaching of poetry, and encouraging the distribution and publication of poetry books, for example), but I can most easily embrace the goal of encouraging the reading of poems.

Each Friday during April, I'll be writing a little bit about poetry -- and then I'll share a favorite poem with you.  I hope maybe you'll join in, too.  Especially on Poem in Your Pocket Day (which is April 26 this year). 

May poetry bloom all month long (and maybe some flowers, too).

Love After Love

by Derek Walcott

 

The time will come

when, with elation,

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror,

and each will smile at the other’s welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

 

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

 

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

 

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Learn about Derek Walcott and sample more of his poetry here.

Comments

[AsKatKnits]

Oh my. Your poem today brought tears to my eyes and even might have included some sobs at the beauty of the words and the image those words created in my mind. Happy Friday, my friend XO

[Bonny]

Derek Walcott and this poem are new to me, but so timely for my life. My thoughts have been running in this vein lately, but as usual, a poet can distill my thoughts so much better than I am able. Thanks for sharing!

[Patty]

Thank-you. xoxo

[Vera]

I, too, had not heard of Derek Walcott previously, but I checked out the link and I like his words! "Feast on your life" - wonderful!! Thank you.

[Jo]

A vey moving poem. Thanks for sharing!

[Bridget]

The best.

[Jane]

Lovely poem. Poetry brings such peace.

[Mary]

Beautiful. Thank you!

[Carole]

What a great poem for me to read today - it's perfect. And yeah, I hear you on the lack of spring in April. We had snow yesterday, too.

[margene]

April is endlessly gray and rainy. The weather people call it our roller coaster spring weather. Yesterday I bought a book of poetry by Wendell Barry, Terrapin. The LBS had a sign that said April was National Poetry month and I just couldn't walk away without a new book of poems. Thank you for sharing your love of poetry with us! Derek Walcott's poem hits the mark!

[Honore´]

I must connect with my friend Margaret who is a big fan of April Poetry month...thanks for the reminder...and for sharing that beautiful poem by Derek Walcott. And remember to play with my Haiku magnetic poetry kit...

Cheers~