Poem in Your Pocket Day

(photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/staredownstudios/2336704578/)

April is National Poetry Month, and to help us continue the celebration beyond the month, Poets.org is sponsoring "Poem in Your Pocket Day" on April 30.

The day is named after Beatrice Shenk De Regniers' poem that encourages children (of all ages) to keep poetry and art close by to stave off loneliness.

As the site says, the idea is simple. Keep some copies of your favorite poem in your pocket, and hand them out to people you see throughout the day. As Sara Teasdale said, "Life has loveliness to sell." Why not share it? The site offers poems to print if you are at a loss for what to choose.

If poetry for adults seems too obscure, try poetry for children. Children's poetry is experiencing a new heyday. Every day this month, Greg at Gottabook has published a new poem by a children's poet. Sylvia Vardell reviews new poetry books for children on her blog. Poetry is alive, well, and kicking!

What poets and poetry spring to your mind? If too much high school and college analysis put you off poetry for good, give it another try. Here are some links to poetry, old & new, in no special order. Let me know if you find a new favorite. And don't be surprised if someone takes a bit of paper out of his or her pocket and hands you a poem!

Eric Ode
Giggle Poetry
Kristine O'Connell George
Representative Poetry Online
Kalli Dakos
Paul Janeczko
Naomi Shihab Nye
There are gazillions more, but I'd better stop there!

Happy Earth Day!

Spring has finally sprung here, it's Earth Day, and thoughts naturally turn to gardening. When you look at the picture above, what do you see? We may not see eye to eye, as I see a tub of fresh green lettuce and darker green spinach. It's not there yet, but it will be!

How about this one?

Last year, this pot produced cucumbers that livened up our salads. It may do the same this year or it may take on a different task.

And what do you see here?
A patch of dried up weeds from last season? A section of dirt that needs a lot of work? Look again and see what the earth might provide: tomatoes, green peppers, green beans, and peas (if the rabbits don't get them first).

I see work, yes. But I also see hope, opportunity, and fruitfulness. Thanks, Mother Earth! What about our planet are you thankful for?

For more on gardening, see the site for the National Gardening Association.

Palm Sunday 2009

Really. What more can I say? The date is off on my camera. This scene really is from April 5, 2009. I guess the weather is off on the calendar!