National Poetry Month

as the buds peek out
from silken nests of green lace
the poet awakes

swirling through the stream
baby fish jump rainbows, while
words jump to my page

rhythm and buddha
and a compulsion to dream
bring poets to peace

full of life, April
heralds nothing so sweetly
sung as poetry



Can there be a more appropriate time of year to celebrate words than the lovely month of April? As the gentle hush of spring sweeps in and signs of nature's rebirth abound, we turn to the delectable sounds of syllables, of semantics, of poetry.

For some of the events surrounding this illustrious month, check out Poets.org, the most comprehensive web resource for poetry. There you'll find thousands of poem in an easily searchable database, as well as audio, video, essays and interviews. In honor of National Poetry Month, you can sign up to receive Poem-A-Day e-mails from Poets.org. You'll also find plenty of information about Poem In Your Pocket Day, which is exactly what it sounds like. The idea is to select a favorite poem and carry it with you all day on April 29, 2010. Whether you share it with friends, stage an impromptu reading on a crowded street, or simply peek at it yourself throughout the day, having a poem in your pocket is like having your own little secret treasure, and it can make the world just a little bit lovelier.

And of course, no post would be complete without a list of some of our favorite materials from our own collection. So next time you visit the SERC Library, be sure to check out:


Welcome to the world: A celebration of birth and babies from many cultures, Compiled by Nikki Siegen-Smith (YP 808.819354 SIE)

This gorgeous anthology combines black and white photography of infants with poems by an array of celebrated poets from around the world. From Ireland's Eavan Boland to England's D.H. Lawrence to anonymous authors from New Zealand and Cambodia, this book will awe you, inspire you, and remind you that we are all human and we are all born innocent.


Embracing the sky: Poems beyond disability, by Craig Romkema (811.6 ROM)

Here you will find pieces that encompass everything a good poetry collection should: an intertwining of desolation and appreciation that cleverly come together to reflect on all of the ugliness and beauty found in this world. The author is a young man with cerebral palsy and autism, and this is his way of both highlighting what it's like to live with disabilities and transcending it, by taking us into his mind and dissolving the difference between us.


When the horses ride by: Children in the times of war, Poems by Eloise Greenfield, Illustrations by Jan Spivey Gilchrist (YP 811.54 GRE)

This is another book in which the visuals are as stunning as the written words. The two mediums combine to paint a stark, yet ultimately hopeful, portrait of war and the effect it has on children. Here is a short poem featured in the book:

Voices
I hear their voices
mixing with the sounds of war.
Too much noise, almost
drowning out their words,
drowning out my thoughts.
Almost.


Teaching with fire: Poetry that sustains the courage to teach, Edited by Sam M. Intrator & Megan Scribner (808.81 INT)

The editors of this book have compiled eighty-eight poems and paired each one up with mini-essays by teachers reflecting on how the poem has touched his or her life. Featuring works by such well-known poets as Pablo Neruda, Walt Whitman, Adrienne Rich and Hartford's own Wallace Stevens, as well as a lot of helpful information on how to incorporate poetry into your curriculum, this book is highly recommended for educators and anyone looking for a little inspiration.


The tree is older than you are: A bilingual gathering of poems and stories from Mexico with paintings by Mexican artists, Selected by Naomi Shihab Nye (YP-SP 860.9 NYE)

The poetry contained within this volume speaks of the timelessness of nature and the endurance of the human spirit. This dynamic array of poems includes both the original Spanish and translated English versions, and is ideal for bilingual classrooms and curricula with a multicultural focus.

The SERC Library encourages drive-by poeting in the comments!