Celebrate National Poetry Month
4/2/2010
 Ah, spring! Ah, poetry! April is National Poetry Month, sponsored every year since 1996 by the Academy of American Poets. They offer numerous ways to capture or renew your interest in poetry while having a good time. Vampire poems, anyone? Most popular poems? Simple ideas for poet costumes you could wear? On April 29, they invite you to carry a poem you love in your pocket and share it with friends, family and co-workers.
I celebrated with my book club last night. We had decided that instead of reading a book for our April meeting, we would each bring a few of our favorite poems and read them. In addition we would dress up and have a tea party. The tea party idea, not to be confused with a certain conservative political movement, originated with us several months ago. At a previous book club meeting, I had commented that although I had memorized a few lines from several poems at various times in my life (e.g."There is no frigate like a book/To take us lands away"), the only poem I have ever memorized in its entirety is "The Tea Party" (see below) at age 5. Whereupon I recited it in their presence.
As I have just completed a course in cake decoration, I offered to bring a fancy cake, vegan of course. Others brought scones, small cucumber sandwiches, fresh fruit, and other delectable goodies. Some of us wore hats and gloves. The poems we read to each other ranged widely in time period, style, and subject matter. We brought to life the words of Cavafy, Coleridge, cummings, Frost, McKuen, Merwin, Millay, Shakespeare, Stevenson, Teasdale, and Thoreau. They spoke to us of life's journey, confusion and adversity, joy, beauty, nature, and of course love. Two of us read poems we had written.
Having a poetry night is fun, different--and free. Consider gathering a few of your friends together this month, ask them to bring favorite poems and food, and see what happens.
The Tea Party
I had a little tea party
This afternoon at three.
'Twas very small, three guests in all,
Just I, myself and me.
Myself ate all the sandwiches
While I drank up the tea.
'Twas also I who ate the pie
And passed the cake to me.
-----Jessica Nelson North
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