April is National Poetry Month

April 15, 2022

April is National Poetry Month, and it includes my favorite day Poem in Your Pocket Day sponsored by the Academy of American Poets. Poem in Your Pocket Day is April 25.

The gist is you carry around a poem in your pocket and when you encounter someone you share it.

I used to do this with my high school students, and while you can imagine not all participated, it was still cool to see teenagers reading each other poetry in the hallway- no matter how few or many there were.

Sharing a poem with another gives a similar feeling to reading a book with another person, giving two people the same world and the same experiences. It levels the playing field creating a world where you both have had the same experiences. It is an instant bond.

Even though the poem people choose for Poem in Your Pocket Day is not a poem they have written, it is a poem that resonates with them; thus, sharing it is sharing a deep feeling with another person, and when they read it, they are acknowledging that.

Since I am no longer working in a school, I celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day through social media- a different feeling but still a great feeling.

Poetry is a short burst of emotion, and yet, in school somehow most of us learn to dislike poetry.

If you are someone who has not yet enjoyed poetry and you are not sure how find poems you like, just Google. Type in “poems about______” and see what comes up.

Or try Angela’s favorite poets- Lawrence Ferlinghetti, William Stafford, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes and Margaret Atwood.

This month for our reading challenge we are challenging you (and us) to read a few poems, post about them and tag us!

April is also:

Sexual Abuse Awareness Month

Arab American Heritage Month

Autism Awareness Month