April | 2009 | Cathy C. Hall Writes

I’d have posted this morning-
But I had little warning,

That Mr. Hall and his call
Would go on and all

Til I thought I would scream.
Then I got some ice cream

And Mr. Hall followed.
(He can’t talk and swallow).

Oh, yeah. A bonus find on Finding Something Friday: Cathy C. Hall’s a poet. Not a great poet, but let’s not get all hung up on that. What we need to focus on here is poetry. As in April being National Poetry Month. And finding the spots where you can share your poems or read great poems. All Month Long.

Robert Brewer over at the Poetic Asides blog of Writer’s Digest is doing a Poem-A-Day . It’s a little too late for you to get the blog button for participating all month long if you’re just finding out about it now. But it’s not too late to get your great poems in there for consideration in the best poems of the day, possibly included in an anthology. There are a ton of folks participating, and yes, I’ve written my poem a day. Not great poems, but c’mon. I said we weren’t going to get hung up on that.

But if you’d rather read great poems (You know I know what you’re thinking, right?), and you love children’s poetry (because hey, everyone can understand those poems, right?), then check out GottaBook and get 30 poems in 30 days. Or is it 30 days/30 poems? Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s great poetry. And you don’t want to miss a single day.

Reading or writing it.

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

-Joyce Kilmer

I’ve always loved that poem. And I’ve always loved poetry. I’m not much of a poet, and I don’t always understand every nuance of a poem. But I love when words sing. And when I read a poem that trips along my tongue and pricks my senses enough to pry open a smile, then I’m happy.

So, I’m especially happy that April is National Poetry Month. And I’m just about jump out of my skin happy to find a place where I can read a children’s poem every day for the next thirty days! (I think I may actually understand most of those poems.) Check out GottaBook for Gregory K.’s 30 Poets /30 Days. Jack Prelutsky started the party, so to speak, with a poem written especially for National Poetry Month. I can’t wait to find out what all the other gifted poets will share. Bet there’ll be plenty of Keepers in the bunch!

Oh, and that tree? It’s in my front yard. And d’you see that place in the tree where the branches spread? The place just right for a little kid to climb and dream? I love that dreaming tree.It’s a great spot for thinking up poems…and maybe a prank or two.

If you haven’t come up with a prank for April Fool’s yet, check out this spot for all things April and foolish. And P.S. I found it at School Library Journal’s (free) newsletter. Sign up if you want to find daily Keepers!