I have four one-sentence poems in this issue!
Go enjoy all thirty poems! There’s even recordings of each one.
#NATIONALPOETRYMONTH Special Issue - https://epistemiclit.com/nationalpoetrymonth-one/
#nationalpoetrymonth — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #nationalpoetrymonth, aggregated by home.social.
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9 Books t0 Spark Poetry Appreciation
Today is the last day of National Poetry Month, and I am here to share one last post to keep the celebration going. This morning, I started to peruse my poetry books and naturally, I saw books I loved and some I didn’t. I pondered the favorite poets I have “discovered” (Victoria Chang, Joseph Massey) and how these have become part of my personal poetry story, or journey- choose your preferred word!
I quick-chose the books in thisPoetry Will Save Your Life pile from many, because I can recall their significance or enjoyment to me as I explored a genre I came to, as one accidentally falling into the deep end of a pool struggling to swim my way back to the low end and find my footing. Poetry is such a misunderstood literary form, which also often seems rather exclusive…and snooty (not sorry). I’ve been wading in over my head for awhile now so I encourage you to jump in. The water is deep, but there is a lot to be gained, and enjoyed, if you are willing to swim where your feet can’t quite touch bottom.
The reason I am choosing nine books instead of ten is so, after reading these choices, you can share the tenth in the comments with me! I know there are many more good books and deeper books on this subject. I have a few. But these I chose by the memory evoked when I looked at them. Maybe it was the timing I received, the person who gave, or what I gained from the book- but these books, upon sight, brought a smile or sense of pleasure as I remembered them. I’d love to know the poetry books, or writing books that have been a pleasant addition to your understanding of poetry, writing, or just a favorite poet. Let’s jump in!
- The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness and Joy edited by John Brehm- I recall picking this up one day at the bookstore- I read it in 2018. Its small paperback format drew me in as I was looking for a travel companion with appropriate proportions. This was a delight at the right time. I loved the biographical bits in this book, and found this to be a facet that fascinated me. The stories behind the lives of the poets is a recurring interest to which I am often drawn.
- Poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge- My bestie gifted me this book. She said it made her think of me. I read this in 2013, and it is a great inspiration written by a poetry teacher who leads writing workshops on the west coast. If you want to inspire your poetic life and expressive writing, read this book. Her teaching style comes through in out-of-the-box creative exercises shared with her groups, and with her readers. You will thank me for this one.
- The Poetry Home Repair Manual by Ted Kooser- This book was suggested to me by a fellow poet, who was helping me with my poems. We worked together and she credited this book with her ability to critique and help me with my work. Well, it was a life-changing process she took me through, and it really helped my writing at the time. What I learned from her in our meetings, and Ted Kooser’s book have impacted my writing in significant ways. If you want to be a better at writing, and seeing your writing, or the writing of others from different angles I think this is a great resource!
- Poetry 101: From Shakespeare and Rupi Kaur to Iambic Pentameter and Blank Verse, Everything You Need to Know about Poetry by Susan Dalzell- This was a fun read, as it suits my ADHD brain. This is a broad overview, and is very basic in introduction, but does cover in a general way a lot of poetic history. Not deeply. There is a lot I don’t love in this book (on the contemporary front) but I did enjoy it enough, and its presentation/format to consider it in my chosen nine (I am not a Rupi Kaur appreciator I confess but that said, I also have yet to acquire love for Shakespeare so there’s that- still learning).
- The Poets’ Corner: The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family by John Lithgow- If you want to find the joy and learn to appreciate and understand poetry MORE- this is the book! I adore this book, by actor John Lithgow. What a treasure he has written in sharing these 50 poems. He gives a bit of background to them as well as brief biographical information or sketches of the poets. He leads us through as a brilliant guide offering insights and input, as well as holding each work up into his eye view to broaden our appreciation then holds it out to us to see. It’s as if he is touring you through each work. I got a used copy, but have heard rave reviews about the audio as well- Mr. Lithgow is an amazing reader, and has a few of his actor friends reading some of the poems as well. I mean to check that out, post National Poetry Month!
- A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver- Do I even need to say anything here? Mary Oliver should suffice. However, I will say, I was blessed to take a poetry class at the local library. The leader used this book for our time, and it was another one of those moments that I felt all of my writerly muscles being stretched, growing, being challenged. “For poems are not words, after all, but fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, something as necessary as bread in hot pockets of the hungry. Yes, indeed.” It’s a short read. But you could make a meal out of it. The woman was a mine of diamonds for those who want to dig and make the most of what’s found. Not overwhelming, or comprehensive. But she doesn’t have to be. Because. Mary Oliver.
- Poetry Will Save Your Life: A Memoir by Jill Bialosky- OK, so I loved this book when I read it, but can’t even tell you why. But I will say, I love memoir, and I am learning to love poetry. I don’t love all poetry. But I really like people who can communicate the value of something I am trying to grow an appreciation for…Bialosky is a poet, and renowned writer, but this one is for the people. So if you are a non-academic, everyday real person (that’s who I am) then, you might like this read. If you are more of an academic-oh heck, who am I kidding- you are not reading my post if so! I read this in 2018. So, maybe a re-read is in order.
- Poems for Life: A Special Collection of Poetry Selected by: E. L. Doctorow, Allen Ginsberg, David Mamet, Tom Wolfe, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen Sondheim, … More: Celebrities on the Poems they Love by The Nightingale-Bamford School- This is a wonderful book. Two fifth grade classes sent letters asking various public figures and celebrities to share their favorite poem. This book is a compilation of their responses. It is a great diverse collection of poems, and a surprising litany of characters who responded. An introduction by Anna Quindlen opens the book. The children were also fundraising for a chosen group by the book profits.
- Poem-a-Day: 365 Poems for Every Occasion-Academy Of American Poets- I got this book in my efforts to increase my appetite for poetry. I took it like a vitamin. One-a-day. It works. I read through this one in 2023. I’m still learning, and I do not appreciate all poetry, yet. But, maybe I am on my way. How about you?
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So here we are at the fastest list ever written by human type-writing fingers! Give me your favorite poetic writing inspiration, favorite poet or book by or about a poet, will you?
How can #nationalpoetrymonth be over? We are just getting started! There is always next year. In the meantime, a little poetry daily will do you.
Keep reading, writing, and living!
Enthusiastically, Dawn
#NationalPoetryMonth #AcademyOfAmericanPoets #bestPoetryBooks #BookReviews #books #NationalPoetryMonth #poem #poems #poetry #writing #WritingInspiration -
The Whole Mishpocha, New and Selected Jewish Poems, 1998-2023 by Philip Terman
The bill, which is grief, arrives.
They agree to split it.
They accompany each other to the gate
that opens out into their separate centuries. -
"a voice asks is it time for you to go
but she doesn’t know and so she remains
but she opts for iridescent
shimmer, gossamer web
watching from afar"#TodaysPoem #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth
after the bloodwork and the shattering of glass by @AmandaEarl (aka @KikiFolle ) the-shattering -
Repartings, Poems of Haftara by Joelle Maxx Milman
a waterfall and gushes a puddle of
tears which has all landed, I see, on the altar
in the middle
of the temple which is now wet, so wet, when instead
it was supposed to be light. -
"A mile or two away, on the frozen-cloud surface
of the real arena,
a winter sport is superimposed on spring.
Third period
of overtime, and young men battle back and forth,
trying to collapse
wave on wave of possibility to a point
of dense rubber
observed at last in one net or another."#TodaysPoem #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth
I never thought I’d write a hockey poem by Alice Major (2006) https://www.annapoetry.com/alice-majors-sports-poems/ -
we who desire, poems and Torah riffs by Sue Swartz
We are nothing at first. Little more than dust, lucid
with possibility—
Then fruit flies and feral dogs on our way
to becoming a different kind of multitude. -
"Like a drive through hillside country.
Up and down, like blood pressure,
like the small leaves on the bird cherryout back at whose foot a treasure
of beloved dog bones are buried."#TodaysPoem #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth
Up and Down by George Murray (@bookninja) (2026) https://substack.com/home/post/p-195746281 -
Words for a Dazzling Firmament, Poems/Readings on Bereishit Through Shemot by Abe Mezrich
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"who are you, whiff of calendula,
which otherwise is such clear honey"
#TodaysPoem #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth @poetry
with plenteous shedding by Danielle Carter (2026 NewPoetry) https://newpoetry.ca/2026/04/27/with-plenteous-shedding/ -
Happy #Sunday There's time to grab some of MK's poetry during #NationalPoetrymonth.
It's a great writer and I often feel I'm getting a peek into a conversation I'd otherwise not have access to.
To me, that's the very definition of poetry. #music
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rippling pond sun on white lotus tickles tao Thank you so much @[email protected] and @[email protected] for featuring three of my #haiku! It is a stunning issue. More of my work appears in The Haiku Shack Magazine: Issue 6 #NationalPoetryMonth
Visit Cendrine Marrouat's Shop... -
"I spent some night or day watching a video over & over. It was not the one of a dog hugging another dog or the one of frogs gathering to watch a video of worms, or the one of a goat head-butting a mirror."
#TodaysPoem #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth @poetry
The slight difference in frequency generates a beat by Tess Liem from OBITS. (2018 Coach House Books) https://chbooks.com/Books/O/Obits -
Daily Blessings poems on Tractate Berakhot by Hillel Broder
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Not Akhmatova, Poems and Adaptations by Noah Berlatsky
The gods turn people into things
that can still feel and know.
You’ve become me. The well sings
with mute wonder. With sorrow. -
"He’s a long time dead but comfortable with the living, like a benign headmaster or a low church vicar welcoming the knitting circle."
#TodaysPoem #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth @poetry
Welcoming Bone by Oz Hardwick (2022 Inverse Journal) https://www.inversejournal.com/poetry/youll-never-recognise-yourself-again-four-prose-poems-by-oz-hardwick -
Bits and Pieces, A Roaming by Edward Pomerantz
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"but the heart, the heart makes its own light
deep in its cavern, wanting to read the love written on the walls
of the body, looking for clues to access this brief world."#TodaysPoem #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth @poetry
Praise by Chris Banks (2026) https://www.facebook.com/chris.banks.3990/posts/pfbid02vVDKvxq6Rn6iBZAiffpaJtQzkzUDZKB5rQ1aPJzqvtpY2pcaWERYf3HqucvH9AVFl -
Hey, did you know April is #NationalPoetryMonth? Did you know Kaleidotrope has published a whole lot of poems?
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"Nothing to do
but ascend two stories, effortless uponemptying myself of all I once had, combed
my glitching interior for an idea with teeth."#TodaysPoem #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth @poetry
by Jaime Forsythe from Yield (2026 Wolsak and Wynn) https://bookstore.wolsakandwynn.ca/products/yield -
"Now, experts disagree.
Were we unhappy or sublime?
We’ll have to wait until the next time
an angel comes rapping at the door
to rejoice docently."#TodaysPoem #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth @poetry
Honestly, by John Ashbery (2015 Academy of American Poets) https://poets.org/poem/honestly -
"i saw some dandelions outside the window of the library
and it wasn’t their beautybut the way they crouched
fertile, bunched
into a crowd among the grass like whispering
girls, heads blonded to sun"#TodaysPoem #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth @poetry
hotel lyric by Sandra Huber (2026 NewPoetry) https://newpoetry.ca/2026/04/20/hotel-lyric/ -
How to Bless the New Moon Songs of the Sovereign and the Icon (revised edition) by Rachel Kann
https://www.benyehudapress.com/books/how-to-bless-the-new-moon/
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wORdS pLaY
Another poem for National Poetry Month, and a word of encouragement on writing.
Words play together in my mind
like children in the playground
undefined – undeterred by
strict structures and narrow plans
joy-filled jumping, creative danceWords play together in my head
like children jumping happily on a bed
unrestrained by deadlines or fine lines,
fearless, and free without care
gleeful faces as they dareWords run brazenly through my mind
like wild mustangs unconfined
unbridled by time and the cares of man
untamed constraints of civil land
Watch out- here comes the stampede!Words prowl the landscape of my brain
seeking prey, they rule and reign
uncaged and free, unruly beasts
as they should be- Kings and Queens!
Hear them roar?Words swim fluidly in deep places
easily maneuver unhindered spaces
sometimes caught, rarely bought
neurons, protons, synapse, cell
swimming by still, secrets to tellWords play endlessly every day
I ‘m not sure why but they sure betray
all that goes on in this place
called me- words play within and
I set them free!###
How goes National Poetry Month for you dear reader? Are you celebrating? It’s not too l late. Today, I decided to rewrite a poem I wrote for dVerse Poets Pub in 2012 for one of their prompts and link- up nights. I don’t recall the prompt, but I enjoyed writing to it at the time. I also enjoyed this poem, though I’ve completely restructured it. I enjoy taking poems I have written in the past and revising them completely. Especially if they were written and shared spontaneously. Revision is a huge aspect of writing that I have grown to appreciate.
DO you have any scribbles in your notebook that might be worthy of your attention? Feeling dry, uninspired and like the muse has left you for greener fields? Grab an old journal or notebook, or dig through your archives or files. Maybe you’ve a hidden gem that needs a little love and shining. What have you got to lose? Take it out, bring it into the light, rework it, reimagine it, find the fun and beauty in it.
I double dog dare you.
Happy writing, reading and celebrating!
Enthusiastically, Dawn
#nationalpoetrymonth
#NationalPoetryMonth #childrenSPoems #dVersePoetsPub #inspiration #NationalPoetryMonth #poem #poems #poet #poetry #poetsAndWriters #writing #WritingPrompts -
"Zamboni has come! Rejoice!
That which is old shall be made new –
and right before your eyes, to boot –
in scalding water, a spinning brush
and a Celtic love knot’s route
around the rink at a pace that says, There is no rush."#TodaysPoem #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth @poetry
Zamboni by Richard Harrison from 25: Hockey Poems, New & Revised (2019 Wolsak & Wynn) https://bookstore.wolsakandwynn.ca/products/25-hockey-poems-new-and-revised & https://open-book.ca/News/Read-an-Excerpt-from-Richard-Harrison-s-25-Hockey-Poems-New-and-Revised -
Into My Garden, Poems by David Caplan
As if New Jersey were Babylon, an Argentine
and an Israeli argue in Aramaic, Styrofoam cups
of instant coffee warm in their hands. -
In All Things Thee to See: Poetry Book Review
It seems appropriate to match the opportunity to review a book of poetry to the month of April, as we celebrate National Poetry Month. But to give attention to the collection I am sharing and the man behind in this review seems a worthy endeavor for me in my Christian journey for both my spiritual and writing life- which are intertwined.
Today I am reviewing a book titled: All Things Thee to See: A Devotional Guide to Selected Poems of George Herbert with Selections and Reflections by Stephen Witmer. Additionally, I want to include my own thoughts on how Christians could enrich their intimacy with Christ by reading and reflecting the writing of devotional poets such as George Herbert. I promise to not get preachy. Anymore. Said while smiling.
First of all a little about this poet – in case he is new to you. George Herbert is new to me, though I am sure there are many who have heard of him or who have read his poetry. I recently attended a Christian writers’ gathering, and heard his name mentioned. It’s like once you decide on the car you want, or a color you love. It starts popping up everywhere. So a bit about George Hebert, is that he lived during the 17th century (1593–1633). This was a tumultuous time in history at best. He was born into a well-to-do family in England and was well educated, had some political ambition initially but became disenchanted early on with that direction and came to focus and rest in his service to the church as priest/pastor. His life was a brief one, and he suffered poor health most of it. He died at forty years of age, but what he left for us is a rich heritage of poems that have been sung, studied and shared since his death by Tuberculosis in 1633. You can read about him in greater detail in the excellent introduction by author, Stephen Witmer.
The Book
This beautiful, bound book is the perfect accompaniment to a quiet time of reflective reading and includes forty of Herbert’s poems. As I researched the poet, I found myself more and more drawn in to the way his works have been used for worship, and also for schooling the believer into the real life workings of a faith-filled life.
The book’s format is perfect for students of scripture, literature, and especially those who find poetry difficult to read or understand. Each of the forty poems has alongside it, a teacher worthy to the task of helping to bring forth the sweet nectar of these poetic offerings. You have with each poem, a tutor to guide you into the fullness of what is being communicated.
Some of the poem titles included in this collection are: The Alter, Affliction, Joseph’s Coat, Matins, Prayer, Mortification, A True Hymn, and The Dawning. Each was written as a personal way of communicating, and talking with God or expressing aspects of faith and struggles in the spiritual life.
The Savoring the Poem section is the place where we are ushered into understanding the places that we might get stuck. Witmer excels in this and I found often after reading his bit of “tutoring” I would re-read the poem with more confidence. He doesn’t overreach here, but gives help in what seems to me is just enough. Each time I found myself thankful to be able to “savor the poem” as intended because I had just the right amount of help – as one walking alongside, discussing with me as I read without pushing. I’m sure this has been instrumental in my ability to appreciate the pure beauty and service of George Herbert’s offerings.
In addition to the brief but rich Savoring the Poem section, there is a Shepherded by the Poem portion. As a pastor himself Witmer guides the reader with reflective questions to bring them into the place of receiving the most out of the words as possible. He helps us see what we don’t want to miss. I find his approach here again, encouraging. He challenges us to not settle for the superficial but see fully the author’s intent, humor, and humanity. He wants us to get the most of the poetry set forth by Herbert.
One thing that was helpful for me in addition to the reading of the chosen poems here by Witmer, was hearing the poems read and sung aloud! An internet search allowed me to experience hearing the words read by those who have an appreciation for the Herbert’s poems. One was Malcolm Guite (I really enjoyed it).
This book features at the back three indexes for notes, persons (mentioned in the individual poems), and scripture references.
It is interesting to note that he wrote the poems during his lifetime completely for his private devotional life. His poems were published posthumously. This is also a fascinating aspect of his short life! That so many of these private, intimate writings born in a devotion to God personally now are public in service to the church, and to many others.
This book would be a great gift for pastor appreciation anytime of the year. It also would be good for graduation, and for any other spiritual milestone. It is one to keep with your Bible and journal for enriching personal devotional time.
You can see and read the first chapter of this book at Crossway linked here: Check out the book!
I want to share a link for another historical background on George Herbert at the Poetry Foundation to learn more: George Herbert at PF.
Thank you to Crossway for sending me this book to review, and also to Stephen Witmer who has set me sailing on my journey with a wonderful new poetry teacher and guide in George Herbert.
Thank you also to my faithful readers for showing up and reading my words. As always I appreciate you for taking the time!
Enthusiastically, Dawn
#NationalPoetryMonth #BookReview #books #CrosswayBookReviewProgram #GeorgeHerbert #NationalPoetryMonth #poem #poems #poet #poetry #poetryBookReview #writing -
"That door has been banging
all our lives against its frame, in wind
so hard and soft at times it echoes
our first birth, that furious pushonly need or love can deliver."
#TodaysPoem #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth @poetry
Poem at the Closing of a Door by Lisa Martin from Nighthawks (2026 University of Alberta Press) https://ualbertapress.ca/9781772128550/nighthawks/ -
The Sabbath Bee, Prose Poems for the Seventh Day by Wilhelmina Gottschalk
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In April
April is National Poetry Month. It is a time set aside to read poetry, to hear it, and to speak it aloud. Not to analyze it too quickly, but to let it move as it was meant to move through voice, through rhythm, through the quiet spaces between words.
Spring brings with it a natural turning toward poetry. The light changes, the air softens, and language seems to follow. This April, I return to Rainer Maria Rilke and his poem, “In April”.
https://youtu.be/Lysu57MuRug?si=3qrRY_VNihv1lNtk
In April
by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926)Again the woods are odorous, the lark
Lifts on upsoaring wings the heaven gray
That hung above the tree-tops, veiled and dark,
Where branches bare disclosed the empty day.After long rainy afternoons an hour
Comes with its shafts of golden light and flings
Them at the windows in a radiant shower,
And rain drops beat the panes like timorous wings.Then all is still. The stones are crooned to sleep
Kergord Woods, Shetland (Rebecca Budd Photo Archives April 28, 2018
By the soft sound of rain that slowly dies;
And cradled in the branches, hidden deep
In each bright bud, a slumbering silence lies.Kergord Woods in April
Amidst the wild and deeply indented coasts of the Shetland Islands, with their enclosed, steep hills and shifting skies, there stands a solitary forest. Kergord Woods is the only substantial woodland in the islands. Planted between 1909 and 1921, the trees have endured harsh winters and persistent winds, yet they thrive offering shelter to birds and a place of quiet gathering within an otherwise open landscape.
During my first visit to Shetland in 2018, I walked through these woods. There is something about Kergord that feels deeply aligned with Rilke’s poem. The air carries the scent of damp earth and awakening growth. Rain lingers, not as storm, but as presence soft against branches and leaves. Light arrives in brief, golden intervals, filtering through the trees before retreating again.
It is a place of transition. Not fully winter, not yet spring but held in that delicate in-between. And in that space, Rilke’s words seem not only descriptive, but present. The “odorous woods”, the rain against the panes, the hush that follows. All of it can be felt here.
Kergord Woods, Shetland (Rebecca Budd Photo Archives April 28, 2018Since that first walk, this poem returned to me each April, carried on the same quiet awakening that stirs in the trees. Poetry does not belong to a single moment. It returns. In seasons. In memory. In places that hold something we cannot quite name. We do not always go looking for it. Sometimes, it finds its way back to us as April returns, as the woods awaken, as a poem waits quietly to be spoken once more.
Until the next poem,
Rebecca
https://anchor.fm/s/4e4af350/podcast/rss #InApril #NationalPoetryMonth #PoetryInTheMorning #PoetrySalon #RainerMariaRilke #RebeccaSReadingRoom #Spring -
An Added Soul, Poems for a New Old Religion (bilingual English/Hebrew edition) by Herbert J. Levine
“There’s much to atone for in how I manage my world:
The absence of a god is no excuse.”