It’s April! National Poetry Month in North America, and I say WOOT! to that.

Normally I spend the month in idle appreciation. Reading poetry. Thinking about poems. Thinking about why it is that most people are so darn daunted at the idea of poems. But this year I decided to get active. I’m doing the PAD (poem-a-day) Challenge through Poetic Asides at the Writer’s Market site.

One week in, three more to go. Some days have been easier than others, which is to say some prompts pluck at my grey matter a little easier to get the ideas churning. But I think there’s something  just as worthy in the poems that have to be coaxed out, as there is in the ones that explode into being. I like to think I can stick it out for another three weeks, so I can say I did it, and have 30 new poems to show for it.

You will never convince me that poetry is dead, but maybe it can do with a little CPR to keep it going. Everyone can read a poem. Read a poem this month. Or better yet, read one every day. You don’t have to delve into an epic or stumble through something surrealist. You don’t have to “get it” or analyze it or memorize it. Just read one and try to feel. Check out one of my favourite sites, Rattle, to get you started. Click on the “random” tab and see what comes up. Or search the names of poets in your own city and see what they have to say. My own city is chock-a-block with spectacular scribes.

Everyone can write a poem too, though I know many people think they can’t. Go on and pen your own little poem this month. You don’t have to show it to anyone, but you might even want to. Post it in my comments and I will send you “super extra happy yay you did it!” vibes.

Happy NaPoWriMo!