Yesterday, a trip to our local library proved epiphanous when I saw their book display honoring National Poetry Month. Up until that point, I was unaware of the occasion.
But it was timely (I’ll get to why in a moment), but I also wonder how many of my readers knew that April was all about poetry. And, while we’re on the subject, what are your feelings about poetry?
I have always read poetry, not broadly or ostentatiously, but according to whim and opportunity. Like many of my generation, Shel Silverstein was a gateway drug. I regularly picked up A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends from Henley Elementary School’s library. My mom loved Robert Service’s Collected Poems and had a copy on our shelves at home that I read often (at one point, I even had “The Cremation of Sam McGee” memorized). When I got to college, the required “Great Books” course introduced me to the poetry of George Herbert, whose profound spirituality and creative use of space to communicate beyond words inspired me. The lyrical poetry of Josh Ritter (set to music, but poetry all the same) has been a constant influence since my friend, Brian, introduced me to his work. The prose of Eugene Peterson introduced me to the poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins, whose artistry is often beyond my ability but whose alliteration I adore. And, most recently, a friend in Poland pointed me towards Wislawa Szymborska, whose “To My Heart, On A Sunday,” stirred my heart in ways I am still figuring out.
I have also been a writer of poetry. I can admit that much of it is terrible, all of it is amateur, but the writing of it was always present in my life, a comfort blanket I could throw on when life got overwhelming. I credit it with helping me navigate the wilder emotions of love, loss, and life while also allowing me to explore some of my more off-beat creative impulses.
Recently, I have found myself writing much more poetry than prose. And while I have always shared my prose, I have only recently begun sharing more of my poems. I plan to continue mixing poetry and prose in this newsletter. But I also want to serve you, my reader, well. With that in mind, please let me know what type of content would be most helpful to you in the future:
Thanks for your help!
My dad memorized and would often recite “The Cremation of Sam McGee”.
I tried to select more than one future writing topics but the poll would only allow one. It would also not allow changing the selection.