Sing a Song of April: National Poetry Month

By Paul Roberts

Ah, National Poetry Month, that time of year when each person you meet as you stroll down the street you should strive to greet with a couplet complete. Try it. You’ll see a rise in their eyes and a look of surprise as they realize that you are one of those guys.

I went through a good portion of the winter somewhat verseless. That’s similar to listless, but combined with - coupled, you might say -  with a lack of poetry in my life. Oh, I had plenty of Christmas carols in my head, and ‘Twas the Night phrases, but in the bleak midwinter, icy winds made me moan from a lack of word play.

I realized, around the end of February, that it had been months since I had  toyed much with rhythm and rhyme, and even longer since I had intentionally read much poetry at all. There I was, blogging, podcasting, writing several different times and styles every week, but no poetry. I was immersing myself into so many different authors, fiction and non-fiction, reading more than I had read for years…but no poetry.

I hollered at myself, laid down the poetic gauntlet, you might say: “Hey you, Wordman, you call yourself a writer, but you can’t even write one line of doggerel?” 

So, I started there, with some distinctively bad verse, one line, maybe two, thrown in at the end of my portion of the Grow Me a Story newsletter, and continued it for six weeks, just to show myself I could do it.

Ohhh, you missed it?

Well, here it is, a bit edited and for meaning rearranged, nevertheless, my doggerel, sounding a bit deranged.

With any luck and a little pluck, 

           I’ll use some time to nurse some verse.

The challenge, each and every week, 

           is to see some words, to take just a peek, 

and see them dance and prance and flow 

          across my page moving to and fro.

I can’t seem to find time to craft any rhyme, 

          but this week I’ll do it if I can just get to it.

I’d like to amaze with some poetic phrase, 

          but my schedule is quite full, and that ain’t no bull.

Still no time for poetry, 

          but I must play with words, 

since this rhyming stuff it isn’t tough, 

           for retired English teacher nerds. 

Oranges smoranges, who said, 

          oranges smoranges, who said, 

oranges smoranges, who said, 

          ain’t no rhyme for oranges.

Thank you, H.R. Pufnstuf, for teaching me poetry was fun.

Please, I beg of you, share some poetry with someone this month. And if you have any suggestions of poetry collections (oooh, I like that, suggestions/collections) that I should add to my daily reading time, I’m all ears.

*****************************************************************************************

To leave a comment on our blog, you can use Disqus.  It is easy to sign up.  You can use Google, Facebook, Twitter or your email.  There is no cost.  Just put in your name and email address and create a password.  Then confirm your account with the email they send you. Then you can use Disqus to comment on the blog.  We would love to hear your thoughts.