National Poetry Month

Inspired by Black History month, The Academy of American Poets worked with a variety of interested parties including teachers, publishers, booksellers, librarians, and of course poets to figure out the many ways poetry could be celebrated. They concluded April was a great month for the celebration, and on April 1, 1996, President Bill Clinton proclaimed April to be National Poetry Month.

Following the Academy’s lead, Writers’ Morning Out has posted a poem-a-day during April since WMO’s inception in 2010.

“Peripaticity” by George Kauffman

I feel the earth’s spin more each day

In an Infinitismal way,

The press of birds moving south toward warmth and

Fields drying where they lay.

Green to tan and touched by gold

Subdued and dry replace the bold,

Though earth’s spin continues

What once was new now is old.

Til another year starts anew,

And life begins new growth true

To nature’s plan where birds return

And fields bloom.

Spin brings warmer days,

Seeds sinking in folds of clay.

Once more begins the play

Of dew and bud and life renewed

In the month of May.