April, National Poetry Month
National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month in the USA but it is a good opportunity (and excuse) for poets the world over to be more active and passionate about producing the writing they love and share it with the world. I hereby challenge every poet who reads this to try to be more productive than usual this month. Some may be able to write a poem per day, though I know I won’t be able to do that. Do your best. Good luck.
April comes but once every year,
Poetry month is here.
Reason for poets to write what they love,
I throw down the poetic glove,
Let’s all write poems without fear.
Never believe the popular myth
Avouring our work’s lesser worth.
Take every criticism direct on the chin,
In adversity let more poems be birthed.
Only we know these opinions are wrong,
Noble poets as one we’ll be strong.
Always take pride in the art you create,
Let history shape poetry’s fate.
Poets may come and poets may go,
Only their poems lives on.
Eternally delighting the lovers of verse,
To form the basis of songs.
Reach for the skies with each word you pen,
Yearn for the best that you can.
Mightier is the pen than the sword,
Often a war’s won through words.
Never give up your desire to create
To separate whey from the curds.
Hold onto your dreams.. It’s never too late, and poetry’s not for the birds.
by John Hansen © 2017
After a lot of procrastinating I have finally self-published my first eBook of poetry "I Laughed a Smile" at Lulu.com.Now I find myself branching out and experimenting with short fiction.
I have also been fortunate to have two poems chosen to be made into songs and recorded. The first "On the Road to Kingdom Come" by Al Wordlaw, and the second, "If I Could Write a Love Poem" by award-winning Israeli/British singer Tally Koren.
I am also finding my services increasingly in demand as a freelance writer and I have ghost-written the text for a number of children's books and educational tutorials.
It has taken me many years of searching and restlessness to realise that my life's passion is to write. It saddens me that I wasted so many years not devoting to that, but thinking positively, the experiences gained over those years are now wonderful material for my stories and poems.
I want to try to bring a new focus on poetry and try to make it appealing to a new generation of young people and those who thought they never liked or understood it before.
- Dawns Song ~ and Twilight Serenade - December 1, 2023
- Weave Me a Story - June 15, 2023
- A Man in the Kitchen – A Poem - May 5, 2023
Happy Poetry Month John. Jamie
Thank you Jamie. Same to you.
Great idea, John – and a great poem. I will take on your challenge and do the best I can. Happy Poetry Month!
Happy Poetry Month, Phyllis. I look forward to reading your contributions.
Well done John, and we must celebrate our art of poetry and bring it to the world.
Yes, Tony, we do. You certainly do your part to sharing poetry with the world.
I will drink to that my friend John…. Happy Poetry Month
Thank you, Kurt. Happy Poetry Month back at you.
Cheers to that John. Lovely acrostic to kick off poetry. ~Paul
Very inspirational, and challenging to the well worded mind. Writing has become a way of life for me, always expressing that which I can not. I mirror your panache in some ways, extending my ability to other types, and forms, as well as having created one of my own. A poem a day? I would not be limited to that. 6 a day? Now that I would love to accomplish!
Thank you for your insightful and generous comment, Donald. I hope you do manage to accomplish the writing if six poems a day. That would be some feat.
Thank you very much, Paul. Much appreciated.