As I strive to become a better listener and to connect more with my
sense of hearing, National Poetry Month 2026 finds me writing daily,
handwritten, index card poems inspired by sounds and listening.. I have begun a new
notebook to collect the sounds I notice throughout the month, and I will
reflect on them in short poems. My ears - and my heart - are open wide.
I invite you to join me in this project, on any of my projects from the past 16 years,
or on a project of your very own. To do so, simply write a
poem each day of April in any way you wish. Share or don't share, as
you wish. Your poems are your poems. Your projects are your projects.
And if you wish learn a bit more about writing poetry, I welcome you to
the short lessons in the tab above: COAXING POEMS VIDEOS - 2024.
National Poetry Month 2026 Poems
Here is poem 3:
Students - Happy spring! This morning I woke up, sat in my red chair, and just listened. What I heard was...the spring peepers in our neighbors' pond! I noticed that they are peeping away long before (all night?) the robins and other members of the dawn chorus are singing the sun up. I am usually up quite early, so this poem is for an imagined sleeping-in day.
Are you wondering what to write about? Turn off any devices, turn on all ears, and try writing about what you hear right this minute.
So much love to the warm and welcoming school community of Indian Trail Elementary School in Canal Winchester, Ohio. It was great fun to visit with all twelve first grade classes on Wednesday, and I extend special thank yous to the "Library Ladies" - Janie Kantner and Valerie Yonnotti and to the PTO for sponsoring my visit.
Matt is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Radio, Rhythm, and Rhyme celebrating a year of RAINBOWS. Each Poetry Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.
To
learn about many of the wonderful National Poetry Month projects
happening online this April, visit the generous Jama Rattigan at Jama's Alphabet Soup.
xo,
a.
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I love that today's "Book Peek" also begins with a sound -- "...a clickety keyboard!" And you are prompting me to take a twilight walk to the little neighborhood wetlands to listen to our local urban peepers!
ReplyDeleteWe have peepers out too! Thank you for this invitation to listen. Now, I notice the sounds around me are mostly human-made: traffic, a distant television, a ticking clock, the ringing in my ears!
ReplyDelete